Performing Arts

Kunstbende Voorronde

2011-11-30T10:54:00+01:00

The Kunstbende, the art competition for everyone aged 13 to 19, will come to Vooruit to check out the Ghent talent. The Kunstbende offers you the opportunity to challenge other teens in categories such as performance, video, design, photography, txt, txt on stage, music and dance. Selection rounds will be held in every Flemish province and the big final will take place in May.

The Kunstbende is more than a competition, it’s a party!

Gisèle Vienne

2012-02-01T16:02:17+01:00

One of the foremost contemporary directors in France!

The set of ‘This is how you will disappear’ is one of the most impressive that has ever graced our Theaterzaal: a large, dark forest with real trees, mysterious mist sculptures and living birds of prey! Three lonely souls meet each other in the forest: a rock star, a coach and an athlete. The mysterious forest is the backdrop for a confrontation with each other and higher powers such as decay, death and beauty.

With ‘This is how you will disappear’ French director Gisèle Vienne has created an extremely visual and spectacular show with the feel of a thriller. The Lynchesque threatening undercurrent is strengthened by the score by Stephen O’Malley, known for his work with experimental noise band Sunn O))).

Gisèle Vienne is one of the most promising French directors of the moment. When she was only 11, she made her own dolls – Barbies at first, Iggy Pop lookalikes later. It was not long before she made a career as a visual artist, director and choreographer. “Vienne is rightly considered one of the most uncompromising and trendsetting innovators in the field of object theatre.

Arne Sierens (Cie Cecilia) is a big fan of Gisèle Vienne. He tells you why in the media player above.

Shila Anaraki & Matthew Shlomowitz / The Letter Piece Company

2012-02-02T14:19:30+01:00

In ‘A to Zzz’ choreographer Shila Anaraki and composer Matthew Shlomowitz make their way through the alphabet with four musicians/performers. At Korte Metten, the duo previously showed a preview of this performance under the title ‘Letter Pieces’: a series of short performances in which the actors/musicians were given stage directions in the form of sheet music.

In ‘A to Zzz’ every letter stands for an object, a principle or an idea. B could stand for “ballet”, V for “variation” and Y for “yawn”. The performers interpret the letters as sheet music. The performance becomes a mix of styles and media: ballet, b-boying, body language, breakbeat, folk music, field tapes, the lighting at a rock show or on a motorway. In short, this fresh, original and entertaining performance is full of surprises!

You can watch an interview with Shila Anaraki in the player above.

Saint Amour - De Onbereikbare

2012-02-09T17:03:03+01:00

The nineteenth edition of Saint Amour focuses on unrequited love. Yearning lovers reach for the bottle, wallow in self-pity, give in to debauchery and dream endlessly. Some two thousand years ago, Latin poet Ovid already realized that ideal love is out of reach when he sent Eurydice to the underworld. Or take Dante, who spent his entire life pining for Beatrice and gave her a central role in his Divine Comedy. Ever since, hundreds of authors have adored and cursed the unobtainable object of their desires, whether too young, too old, too far, too close, too beautiful, too dead or too married.

Once again, Saint Amour welcomes a fine selection of renowned and young authors. As always, they will be accompanied by a generous portion of music and film. All names will be announced later in the season.

Agata Maszkiewicz

2012-01-18T11:54:21+01:00

Don Quichote as you’ve never seen him before!

The name Agata Maszkiewicz may not ring a bell, but you might have seen her perform in a Superamas piece. For her own creation, she focuses on Don Quixote, an endless source of inspiration. He is traditionally viewed as the embodiment of the clash between reality and imagination. Maszkiewicz sees Quixote as a MacGyver of sorts and tries to find out where reality and fiction meet. ‘Don Kiewicz & Sancho Waniec’ confronts mundane everyday activities with fantasies, daydreams and a resolve that is considered madness nowadays.

Ontdekkingsdag Agata Maszkiewicz

2012-01-18T11:55:07+01:00

Na de voorstelling Don Kiewicz & Sancho Waniec op do 01.03 volgt een gratis nagesprek met Agata Maszkiewicz, ook vragen uit het publiek zijn welkom.

Tine Van Aerschot

2011-11-14T14:13:20+01:00

coming soon

Ontdekkingsdag Tine Van Aerschot

2011-08-31T12:08:08+02:00

Na de voorstelling ‘We are not afraid of the dark’ op vr 16.03 volgt een gesprek met Tine Van Aerschot, ook vragen uit het publiek zijn welkom.

Bert Gabriëls

2011-10-07T19:03:02+02:00

“Druk, druk, druk” is de nieuwe vol-avondshow van Bert Gabriëls (bekend van oa ‘Zonde van de zendtijd’ op Canvas met Henk Ryckaert), waarin hij een overzicht geeft van wat er allemaal nog moet gebeuren. De show is een opeenstapeling van herkenbare situatie-comedy, grappige kritische bedenkingen bij onze kleine onhebbelijkheden, rake klappen aan de verzuurde samenleving en natuurlijk een flinke dosis absurde humor. Grote thema’s als multiculturaliteit en wereldhandel worden moeiteloos afgewisseld met dagdagelijkse gênante situaties op het politiekantoor of op het kerstfeest bij de schoonfamilie. Kortom, een show over alles waar mensen mee bezig zijn, wat ze bezighoudt. Tijdens de show is Bert zelf bovendien ook voortdurend bezig met de opbouw van het decor, zodat het geheel een dynamischer karakter krijgt dan enkel een stand-up show.

Ontroerend Goed & Sydney Theatre Company

2011-11-14T11:47:17+01:00

Ghent’s own Ontroerend Goed joins forces with major Australian theatre company!

After their anniversary in October 2011, Ontroerend Goed returns with a brand new performance. For this piece, they collaborated with the renowned Sydney Theatre Company, a partnership that was formed thanks to their successful Australian tour. Actress Cate Blanchett was so impressed with Ontroerend Goed that she asked them to work with the Sydney Theatre Company, where she and her husband currently hold the position of artistic director. This collaboration resulted in ‘A History of Everything’, a performance that intends to show exactly what the title suggests: a history of everything. From the Big Bang to today, based on Darwin’s theory of evolution, cosmology and the realization that man is only a tiny dot on the timeline.

“I think cosmology, history and the theory of evolution are incredibly fascinating. It’s actually quite weird that it doesn’t inspire more plays, because the history of the world is like an exciting novel.” – Alexander Devriendt, director.

Check out more in the player above.

De Koe

2011-11-15T16:46:00+01:00

‘ROOD’ is the second part of the trilogy by De Koe on ‘De Wederopbouw van het Westen’ (‘The Reconstruction of the West’). After seeing ‘Wit’, the first part, De Standaard wrote “You leave the theater with a liberated feeling. Clean, washed, enthusiastic. We’re looking forward to the next installment.”

Last time, De Koe was clearly inspired by Lady Gaga. This time, actors Natali Broods, Willem De Wolf and Peter Van den Eede were inspired by Liz Taylor.

Naomi Kerkhove

2012-02-06T15:43:01+01:00

A magical universe created with needle and thread

An entire miniature universe made with needle and thread. Last season, Naomi Kerkhove presented the breathtaking ‘White Out’. The moving soundtrack by Ruben Nachtergaele immersed the streets, houses and characters in a cinematic atmosphere. The duo joins forces once again for ‘Valies’, which promises an even closer connection between music and image. To this end, Naomi picked an intelligent fabric which produces its own sound. ‘Valies’ does not offer a straightforward story, but works with images that rapidly succeed each other like a slideshow and that offer you an insight into a fascinating imagination. Don’t be afraid to let your own imagination run wild and fill in the gaps yourself.

“What do you find in someone else’s pocket or handbag? What happens in those places you never go? I’ve taken this curiosity that we’ve all felt at some point as the starting point of ‘Valies’. – Naomi Kerkhove

Check out what else Naomi Kerkhove has to say about ‘Valies’ in the player above.

Cirque Composé

2012-02-09T17:28:47+01:00

coming

Ontdekkingsdag Naomi Kerkhove

2011-11-28T15:44:35+01:00

Na de voorstelling ‘Valies’ op do 29.03 volgt een gesprek met Naomi Kerkhove, ook vragen uit het publiek zijn welkom!

Hans Bryssinck & Dolores Bouckaert

2011-07-01T19:45:16+02:00

Due to planning issues, this performance has been moved. It will not take place on the 1st and 2nd of February at Minard as previously announced, but on the 5th and 6th of April in de Domzaal.

“Yes, and I personally met the devil at least three times face to face.”

In this performance, Dolores Bouckaert and Hans Bryssinck look for ecstatic experiences. They hope that these will help them to find proof of the existence and presence of God. Is there a shortcut to the Lord?

Dolores Bouckaert (‘Ex-Drummer’, ‘Cast Shadow’ with Bernard Van Eeghem) and Hans Bryssinck previously worked together for ‘Sterven in stijl’. In preparation for their new performance Bouckaert retreated to a Romanian monastery to study religious hymns, while Bryssinck studied shamanism in Columbia.

They called on Aarich Jespers (percussionist with Zita Swoon) to build a “God machine”, which should bring the audience to a higher level of consciousness. The machine leads you into a unique world of sound with streamers, cardboard, coconuts, iron plates etc.

The trio goes on a quest to find out whether ecstasy is a phenomenon that can be induced by simply revealing its mechanics.

Kassys / Nature Theater of Oklahoma / Tim Crouch / Nicole Beutler

2012-01-05T13:49:56+01:00

Four top theatre companies join forces!

On the initiative of Kassys two top-notch theatre companies and two directors join forces and create a performance together!

To this end, they use the method of the exquisite corpse, which the title of the piece refers to. Each company present a 15-minute fragment that starts with the last image of the previous fragment, but without knowing what happened before. All options are open: the set can be changed or destroyed, a dance performance can turn into a movie or the other way around and the story can go anywhere. It’s an exciting experiment that will no doubt result in a colourful and versatile performance!

After several performances at Vooruit, Dutch company Kassys really feels at home here and we’re also proud to welcome Nature Theater of Oklahoma once again. The company is a favourite among European critics. British director Tim Crouch loves to play with the conventions of theatre, while choreographer Nicole Beutler often works with themes such as feelings, experience and the relation between the audience and the performer. A promising quartet, if you ask us.

LOD / Patrick Corillon & Daan Janssens

2011-11-14T11:47:30+01:00

Author Maurice Maeterlinck, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1911 and the only Belgian winner ever, remains an inspiration 100 years later. Especially for LOD, Young Ghent composer Daan Janssens and artist/director Patrick Corillon have adapted ‘The Blind’ into a parable about blindness in all its forms.

In a dark forest, twelve blind characters wait for the priest who will bring them home. They talk, but don’t really say anything and talk over each other’s heads. Haunting sounds scare them and are a source of speculation. But what does the story mean today? Is the Western world blind? Are Westerners out of touch with themselves, nature and language? And is there a solution? Is it just a case of opening our eyes?

Janssens translates the dark tragedy of Maeterlinck’s short, hypnotizing text into music. Corillon provides a counterbalance with a clear, light scenography.

Combiticket: Maud le Pladec

2011-06-01T09:19:19+02:00

coming soon

Maud le Pladec

2011-11-14T12:06:40+01:00

The most promising French choreographer of the past years

When French choreographer Maud Le Pladec was first introduced to the music of Fausto Romitelli, a promising Italian composer who died from cancer at a young age, she was blown away by his work. In his compositions, Romitelli tried to break down the barriers between rock music and classical music, taking inspiration from Györgi Ligeti and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Le Pladec contacted Belgian guitarist Tom Pauwels, member of the Ictus ensemble, to perform Romitelli’s music live. Together with two dancers he explores the acoustic universe of Romitelli. The choreography interacts with the hypnotizing music that plays with repetition, changes of tempo and the balance between crafted composition and uncontrolled energy. Choreography and music interact and thereby strengthen each other.

Maud le Pladec

2011-11-14T14:14:33+01:00

In ‘Poetry’, which forms a diptych with ‘Professor’, Le Pladec mainly focuses on rhythm and the connection between music and movement. Do we deduce rhythm from what we see or from what we hear? But she also sees rhythm as a natural feeling which can be extremely formalized in a strict system. As for ‘Professor’, Le Pladec works with two dancers and musician Tom Pauwels, who will present his own take on ‘Trash TV Trance’ an electric guitar solo by Fausto Romitelli.

De Roovers

2011-07-01T21:39:30+02:00

This performance is included in ABO 2

After working with texts by renowned contemporary American author Paul Auster last year, De Roovers will tackle a true classic this season: ‘Oom Wanja’ (‘Uncle Vanya’) by Anton Chekhov, one of the most poignant Russian laments on love and transience. The arrival of professor Serebryakov and his second wife Elena breaks the daily pattern and boredom at the farm. Doctor Astrov, who’s treating the professor for gout, renounces his duties as a physician, while Vanya and his cousin Sonya neglect their work. Sonya is quietly in love with Astrov, but he only has eyes for Elena. Unfortunately, Vanya is also smitten with the young lady. ‘Oom Wanja’ is a piece about lonely people, their desires and their hopes for the future, their suffering and their vain attempts to escape it.

Roovers actors Robby Cleiren and Sara de Bosschere will be joined by Valentijn Dhaenens (Skagen), who impressed viewers and critics with his solo performance ‘DegrotemonD’ and with his role in Belgian film ‘The Misfortunates’.

Guy Cassiers / Toneelhuis

2011-11-14T11:47:41+01:00

When you scratch off the veneer of society, all that is left is a heart of darkness.

‘Heart of Darkness’, the classic novel by Joseph Conrad, tells the raw story of Kurtz, an ivory tradesman who has gone AWOL in the former Belgian colony of the Congo. The novel is drenched in the scorching heat, heavy atmosphere and feverish tension of the African jungle. Conrad does not only explore the dark heart of the jungle, he also focuses on the dark corners of the human psyche, carefully balancing on the edge of reason.

Top actor Josse De Pauw translates Conrad’s novel into a powerful monologue.

Dimitri Leue, Warre Borgmans & Antoon Offeciers

2011-07-01T22:35:00+02:00

A young man leads his father who suffers from dementia to the piano in an attempt to restore his memory with melodies. As the music plays, memories of his life come flooding back. But will the final chord heal him?

In this family tragedy Warre Borgmans and Dimitri Leue look for the gene that binds them. Antoon Offeciers will accompany them on the grand piano.

“They should continue performing this piece until everyone has seen it.” – Wouter Hillaert in De Standaard
“The piece is moving, cleverly crafted and excellently performed and based on Borgmans’s and Leue’s personal experiences.” -Liv Laveyne in Knack

Nature Theater of Oklahoma

2011-12-22T11:15:58+01:00

“It’s been a long time since I had so much fun at the theatre”
- Yves Desmet on ‘Life & times #1’ in De Morgen

The Nature Theater presents the second part of its 10-part project ‘Life &Times’ which intends to tell the entire life story of a woman. She doesn’t experience spectacular things but lives an ordinary life full of recognizable situations: her first love, a summer boyfriend, that first secret cigarette…

Part 1 followed the main character from her birth to her eighth birthday in the form of a highly entertaining 3-hour musical. Vooruit visitor Josie wrote: “A brilliant feat, as wonderful as it is simple.”

Part 2 focuses on her teenage years and how it feels to be an outsider and an insider.

CREW

2012-01-17T12:31:42+01:00

“Woooow! An amazing experience. Complètement hors catégorie.”
- Vooruit visitor Kjel on www.vooruit.be on CREW’s previous project, ‘Line-up’)

CREW often stuns the crowd with its cutting-edge gadgets. Their new piece ‘Terra Nova’ immerses the viewer in an utterly sensory experience. Every visitor is introduced to the story of R.F. Scott’s South Pole expeditions. The viewer can follow in Raleigh’s footsteps and thereby becomes the main character. The piece confronts us with questions about our consciousness: who are we? What is the self? Can we trust our body as an intermediary between reality and ourselves? Directors Eric Joris and Stef De Paepe and author Peter Verhelst draw comparisons between the exploration of our mind and Scott’s dramatic second South Pole expedition.

Titus De Voogdt / Johan Heldenbergh / Compagnie Cecilia / KVS

2011-09-20T09:55:34+02:00

Two men with a shared past but a separate future. Best friends forever. Go to work together. Get busted together. Go to court together. Go to prison together. Get paroled together.
Both wearing a tether and forbidden to have contact.
But one day, one of them breaks the conditions and decides to visit his friend.
Some things are forever.

Young actor Titus De Voogdt has been playing with Arne Sierens’s Cie Cecilia for years, but felt the time was ripe to create his own work. With fellow actor and theatre maker Johan Heldenbergh as his coach, De Voogdt now presents his first piece. The duo gives it their all on stage, in a quest for pure language and gripping images. We already witnessed their chemistry in the film ‘Steve+Sky’ and other pieces by Cie Cecilia such as ‘Trouwfeesten en processen’ and ‘Maria Eeuwigdurende Bijstand’. Spawned from the hearts and minds of De Voogdt and Heldenbergh, ‘Vorst-Forest’ promises to have a rough edge, but a tender centre.