Performing Arts

Nature Theater of Oklahoma

2012-05-21T13:59:00+02:00

“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

2012-05-02T11:02:07+02:00

“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

2012-04-25T12:26:39+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.

PARTS-afstudeerprojecten

2012-05-07T12:15:26+02:00

coming

Ant Hampton & Gert-Jan Stam

2012-05-16T11:05:57+02:00

Ant Hampton is geen onbekende meer in Vooruit sinds hij op het podiumfestival ‘the game is up!’ in 2011 zijn “autoteatro” introduceerde in Gent. Toen plaatste hij jou, de toeschouwer, in het midden van de actie: met een onbekende tegenspeler op een bankje in de stad, in de Gentse boekentoren of in het Vooruitcafé. Telkens maakte je zelf de performance door de instructies te volgen die je via je koptelefoon ingefluisterd kreeg.

Met ‘Ok Ok’ gaat Hampton op hetzelfde elan verder: met 4 neem je plaats aan een tafel in het Vooruitgebouw om samen een kleine komedie te spelen. Niet via een stem in je oortjes deze keer, maar door een script te volgen waarop jouw tekst in kleur is aangeduid. Maak je geen zorgen, acteerervaring heb je niet nodig. De tekst reflecteert immers zodanig de onzekerheid die iemand voelt wanneer die iets luidop moet lezen, dat alles als vanzelf op z’n plaats valt. Zo wordt langzaam naar een grappig en verrassend einde toegewerkt.

Kris Verdonck / A Two Dogs Company

2012-05-22T10:43:26+02:00

Not only is Kris Verdonck a household name at Vooruit, he has also become one of the most influential and inspiring figures in contemporary performing arts. ‘I/II/III/IIII’ saw four female dancers performing a choreography while suspended from a carousel, ‘Exit’ literally tried to rock the audience to sleep, and ‘K, a Society’, took you on a trip past several installations set up throughout the Vooruit building. Whereas these creations heavily drew on the work of Franz Kafka, Verdonck now turns to German author Heiner Müller for inspiration.

During his lifetime, Müller (1929-1995) witnessed fascism, communism and capitalism up close. He was a privileged witness to the disintegration of Germany and its reunification many years later. Apart from good and evil, the Other is also a recurrent theme in his work. In M, a Reflection, Verdonck tackles this theme by duplicating the protagonist. What ensues is dialogue and conflict between the two. Actor Johan Leysen is juxtaposed with his doppelganger – a high-tech hologram – and embodies the contrast between reality and fiction. Leysen will also star in Guy Cassiers’s De Misdaad later this season.

Miet Warlop / Campo

2012-05-22T10:47:30+02:00

Walking hairballs, headless women, cardboard boxes that come alive… It’s clear that Miet Warlop likes to let her imagination run wild. At the game is up in 2011, the Dansstudio became her playground. If you happened to visit, you were offered a sample of Mistery Magnet’s absurd universe.

A selection of enthusiastic reviews on vooruit.be:
“Poetic, imaginative, charming” – Karo
“Although it is completely surrealistic, it is a pleasure to watch. I could have stayed there for hours!” – Niké

Laura Kalauz & Martin Schick

2012-05-22T11:09:48+02:00

If someone were to offer you a free bottle of shower gel or a free pair of oven mitts, would you accept? In CMMN SNS PRJCT Argentinean artist Laura Kalauz and her Swiss companion Martin Shick welcome the audience in their underwear while handing out freebies. But is there really a difference with the posters, advertisements and promotional booths all around us? The opening scene sets the tone for a clever play on social mechanisms we stopped questioning a long time ago. But what if we broke these social conventions?

“A briljant piece which proves that a political performance does not have to include finger-pointing.” – Austrian newspaper Der Standard

The Speech Karaoke Action Group

2012-05-22T11:22:56+02:00

Singing along to your favourite song in a karaoke bar while slightly inebriated (or not), we’ve all been there. The Speech Karaoke Action Group from Finland does not have a songbook, and offers a selection of famous speeches instead, from Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” to John F. Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner”. Especially for this performance, they will include speeches from local politicians. Time to pick up the mic and give it your all!

Laura Van Dolron

2012-05-22T11:19:14+02:00

In the Netherlands, playwright Laura Van Dolron is something of a phenomenon. Her subdued, personal, and honest pieces even won her a nomination for the Theaterfestival.

In Welk stuk? two real-life politicians take the stage. After all, they might have more experience with cameras and one-liners than actors. Van Dolron does not have any prior knowledge of their identity, their political conviction and agenda, but she directs them as if they were actors and puts words in their mouths. Whether we’ll find two Flemish politicians willing to participate in this piece in the countdown to the local elections is still a mystery. Names will be announced later.

Some promising reviews from the Netherlands:
“Van Dolron is always two steps ahead of the guests and the audience and manages to create hilarious moments” – Theaterjournaal
“The uneasy confrontation immediately provides fascinating tension” – De Volkskrant

Roger Bernat

2012-05-22T11:25:30+02:00

“Politicians are greedy, incompetent and out of touch.” Face it, we’ve all had thoughts along these lines during the recent political stalemate and the on-going financial crisis. Can we do better? Roger Bernat gives you the chance to discover your political talent and offers you a seat in parliament. Instead of political families, parties, or elected members of parliament, you’ll be offered a series of questions and proposals to which the audience has to find an answer in order to form a government. Yes or no, it’s up to you. Your answer will determine the outcome of the evening. The setting for this event will be the Provinciehuis in Ghent.

Lucinda Childs Dance Company

2012-05-22T11:30:58+02:00

One of the most influential dance performances of the 21st century

Lucinda Childs is one of the biggest names in dance history. This contemporary version of DANCE is an adaptation of the 1979 original. The choreography consists of three parts: the first and last part are performed by four men and four women, and the middle part is a solo performance by a female dancer. Legendary composer Philip Glass’s minimalist yet complex score is a perfect match for Childs’s choreography. Artist Sol LeWitt – another kindred spirit – contributed to the performance in the form of a black and white film of four dancers performing Childs’s choreography which is projected onto the scene. The dancers on stage and the video move simultaneously, creating an amazing performance. It is not often that three art forms meet as beautifully as they do in DANCE.

Diederik Peeters

2012-05-22T11:35:50+02:00

“An amazing performer! I am sure we will hear a lot more of him soon” – Knack

After the Red Herring premiere, Flemish magazine Knack wrote a rave review, saying it was a feast for “adventurous viewers who enjoy seeing tomorrow’s playwrights at work”. De Morgen thought the performance was “hilarious and incredibly convincing”.

You might remember Peeters from his work with Superamas and Hans Bryssinck. In Red Herring, however, he takes the stage alone. A red herring is a term used in the TV and film industry to signify an element that draws attention from the central issue. Peeters uses clever sound effects to draw you into an espionage comedy. He originally intended to make a thriller, but this proved quite impossible for someone who suffers from all sorts of fears and phobias, including mysophobia. Needless to say, it makes the show all the more entertaining.

Nadia Schnock

2012-05-22T13:48:08+02:00

French chanteuse Mireille Mathieu is best remembered for hit songs such as Une Femme Amoureuse and Acropolis Adieu. Mireilles is a free mini musical performed by Nadia Schnock in the Vooruit Café. The leitmotiv is the story of a tragic love, told through Mathieu’s songs and performed by two female and one male lookalike. It’s a strange sight to see the identical, iconic and almost asexual singers confronted with the hidden passion of Mathieu’s lyrics.

Brussels-based artist Nadia Schnock works as a costume designer for deepblue. She also acts and creates her own shows, which often walk a fine line between performance art, installation art, theatre and visual art.

Tom Lanoye

2012-05-22T13:51:20+02:00

We just can’t get enough of the stage adaptation of Sprakeloos, Tom Lanoye’s masterpiece. The “butcher’s son with glasses” – as he described himself in his debut novel – previously performed the monologue at Vooruit to a succession of standing ovations. If you missed it then, you’ll get another chance this season. Still not convinced? Humo called the novel “an overwhelming sample of Lanoye’s literary prowess”. De Tijd situated Sprakeloos “up there with the great works of Claus and Boon” and De Standaard called him “a great author at the top of his ability”. De Standaard also agreed that the live performance by the author himself adds a depth to the original story. Come and see Lanoye, a born performer, pay a passionate, moving tribute to his deceased mother.

Guy Cassiers / Toneelhuis

2012-05-22T13:57:04+02:00

After the successful adaptation of the first two parts of the literary masterpiece The Man without Qualities by Guy Cassiers and Het Toneelhuis, they will present the third and final part this season. Author Yves Petri – who won the Libris Prize for Literature with De Maagd Marino – rejected the idea of a straightforward adaptation. Instead he combined elements from Musil’s biography with the novel. The result is a mash-up of Musil and his beloved Herma’s love life and the story of Moosbrugger and a prostitute. We know that Moosbrugger is responsible for the death of the prostitute, but what role did Musil play in the death of Herma? De Misdaad is an exciting duet of actress and musician Liesa Van der Aa and actor Johan Leysen – who also stars in M, a reflection by Kris Verdonck this season.

Jérôme Bel

2012-05-22T14:00:29+02:00

French performer Jérôme Bel is known for his choreographies based on the lives and careers of the dancers he creates them for. Talking about his concept in Brussel Nieuws, Bel said, “A few years ago I realized that the discourse on dance was entirely dominated by choreographers and critics. Nobody ever asks the dancer’s opinion, while I thought this might be interesting. (…) I started out from the simple idea of letting the dancer talk about his work in layman’s terms while giving a few examples with dance fragments. The dancer is the only person who can both dance and explain the performance. Critics can’t dance and choreographers usually can’t either.”

This is the fifth part in Bel’s series of biographical choreographies. It follows the life of dancer Cédric Andrieux, who will perform the choreography himself. It offers an introspective and anecdotic look at his career, from his training at the Parisian Conservatoire to his experiences with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New York and renowned choreographers such as Trisha Brown and William Forsythe.

LOD & De Werf / Josse De Pauw, Pieter De Buysser & Kris Defoort

2012-05-22T14:09:24+02:00

Every weekday, you can follow the adventures of ‘meneer Afzal’ (mister Afzal) on the Klara radio show Babel. The character, created by playwright and author Pieter De Buyser, who could previously be seen at Vooruit with De Muur, undergoes a series of incredible changes. When he gets stuck between a window, he stretches his ear to a size of 40 by 70 cm. As a result, his senses are heightened and he starts using the flap as a scarf. What follows is a succession of weird situations. Afzal meets bizarre creatures, including a monster that floods everything with its tears, a disgruntled eel with overactive mirror neurons, a disabled peacock specializing in language legislation, a spirited girl with a rotting ankle, and the worshipped Afkalfkalf.

The comical and grotesque audio drama has been adapted for the stage, narrated by Josse De Pauw and with music by Kris Defoort.

Superamas

2012-05-22T14:31:56+02:00

In THEATRE, Superamas combine fact and fiction like no one else can. This time, they focus on the illusion of politics and the politics of illusion. When Renaissance painters mastered the art of perspective, they used it to organize and frame the world. Centuries later, we are flooded by digital images that essentially do the same. They determine and manipulate our view of reality. Superamas bring together real people, actors, 3D images, and avatars in a shiny, clever, and sexy performance.

French-Austrian performance collective Superamas became a favourite of the Vooruit audience with the BIG trilogy, which slams reality TV, showbiz, and entertainment. Comedy, glamour, and a hint of voyeurism are the main ingredients of their work. Superamas became the house company at Vooruit in 2012, so you’ll be seeing more of them on stage and behind the scenes soon.

Yan Duyvendak / Omar Ghayatt / Nicole Borgeat

2012-05-22T14:34:32+02:00

The Other is a basic concept of philosphy. After 9/11, however, the Other has often come to signify Muslims. How clichéd is our view on them? And how clichéd is their view on us? Dutch-Swiss playwright Yan Duyvendak and Egyptian artist Omar Ghayatt decide to find out. In eleven scenes, Duyvendak and Ghayatt tell us the story of East meets West, and more importantly, of two people and their similarities and differences. At the start of the show, the artists present eleven themes to the audience. The audience then chooses five fragments they want to see.

“Because every night is different, the reaction of the audience varies greatly. Some nights are very calm and serene, sometimes there are serious debates, and sometimes people walk out. In Geneva nobody voted for the poetic fragment, in Paris people were irked by religion, and in Bordeaux the audience stayed for an hour after the show.” – Yan Duyvendak

On Saturday 1 December you’ll be able to enjoy an XL version of the show with all 11 fragments. Sandwiches will be available during the break.

Laura Van Dolron

2012-05-22T14:56:14+02:00

Some girls like the wrong kind of men. Laura van Dolron thinks she likes the wrong kind of philosophers. Take Jean-Paul Sartre, the founder of existentialism. According to van Dolron, he has made us all depressed by claiming that life is pointless. High time he apologizes, she thinks.

The original title of the play was Sartre says sorry after Laura shoutsat him for 40 minutes, blaiming him for the fact that all her friends are almost 40, covered in wrinkles and still don’t have children or a family. Seeing this was a bit long, she shortened it to Sartre zegt Sorry (Sartre says sorry). The piece is a cross between stand-up comedy and philosophy, and is light yet poignant. De Standaard called it “a marvel”. In 2011 the piece was picked up for the Theaterfestival, which makes a selection of the best shows of the season.

Laura van Dolron

2012-05-22T15:02:26+02:00

Laura van Dolron makes a proposal for a better world. She wants to find a solution for all the problems in the world and tries to formulate arguments against populist politicians who seem to be getting all the votes lately. Looking for philosophical and spiritual answers, she retreated to Thailand, visited a recluse in Spain, met Palestinians in Jerusalem, and took a course in turning anger into love in the Netherlands. The result is an inimitable and incredible stream of thoughts, which is critical, razor-sharp, clever, and witty. Her passion and honesty will have you hanging on her every word. Somebody has to do it, and nobody does it better than Laura van Dolron.

Jan Decorte / Bloet / De Roovers

2012-05-22T15:13:42+02:00

After adapting pieces by Müller, Shakespeare and Euripides, Jan Decorte turns his attention to the work of German playwright and poet Friedrich von Schiller. Instead of picking just one text by Schiller, Decorte delves into the entire oeuvre of the 18th century author. Sturm und Drang, characterized by rebelling teenagers who despise their parents, a strong desire for freedom and democracy, and a renewed appreciation for nature, seems to be more relevant than ever. Just like Schiller, Decorte lets passion reign, in love and in politics alike. Sara De Bosschere and Michael Vergauwen of De Roovers take the stage alongside Decorte and his wife Sigrid Vinks.

Claudio Stellato

2012-05-22T15:17:46+02:00

Contemporary circus performances incorporate influences from all sorts of art forms and is rapidly gaining cultural recognition abroad. Vooruit and the Circuscentrum have joined forces to bring contemporary circus under the attention of the Flemish audience.

L’autre is a light-hearted question and answer game between a body and the objects surrounding it. The objects come to life and become characters that fight, dance and talk with artist Claudio Stellato. This circus performance defies the laws of time, space and physics and shows you an alternate reality. With great ease and agility, Stellato moves between reality and illusion, calm and chaos.

“The game, with its metaphysical contemplation of reality and fiction, is funny and exciting to watch. It gets you thinking and wishing you could disappear too, as it looks like a pleasant experience.” – Theatermaggezien.be

The game is over!

2012-05-22T15:37:34+02:00

The end of the world has been announced more than once, but according to the old Mayan calendar the one and only apocalypse is coming on the 21st of December 2012. If you don’t feel like hiding in a bomb shelter, join us to celebrate the end of the human race!

Several artists will present their vision on the end of the world as we know it. Or is every end a new beginning? What would we change if we would just wake up the morning after?

Whatever things may come, it promises to be one hell of a party!

More information coming in the course of the season on www.vooruit.be.

Monstre(s) / Etienne Saglio

2012-05-22T15:40:01+02:00

“Once upon a time, there was a kingdom made of ancient objects and faded glory, founded by a man to populate his solitude. But it was not long before madness took over.” With these words, we are introduced to the universe of Le Soir des Monstres, a circus performance which takes the audience on a trip to a dark, magical world reminiscent of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands. At the beginning of the performance, we see Etienne Saglio make juggling balls from wire. Suddenly, they get wings and escape. What follows is a magical performance from beginning to end. The performance is lifted to a higher level thanks to the impressive lighting design and the intriguing soundtrack by Belgian-German piano-electronica duo Swod.

Etienne Saglio is one of the most promising circus artists of the moment. He started juggling at age six. He was trained at several renowned circus academies and wowed the crowds with Le Soir des Monstres, his debut performance.

Ivo Dimchev

2012-05-22T16:11:28+02:00

+18

“one of the most influential contemporary artists” – La Libre Belgique

Blood, naked flesh and drag queens. X-on is not your average show. The piece starts with a meeting between a couple of tourists and a museum guard. The scene seems mundane, but suddenly shots are fired and all hell breaks loose. It’s the start of an extraordinary performance.

The piece revolves around The Fitting Pieces, sculptures by Austrian artist Franz West, who recently won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale. West wraps everyday objects in gauze and plaster and invites visitors to touch them and use them. West provides a few replicas so the performers can manipulate the sculptures at will.

Bulgarian artist Dimchev is known for his extremely visual work. De Morgen described X-on as “a work of unparalleled radicalism”, De Standaard thought Dimchev’s talent lies in his “unique, strange imagination and impressive body language and voice”.

Manah Depauw

2012-05-22T16:14:07+02:00

In this dark fairytale by Manah Depauw, there is no handsome prince in sight. King Dom has long, putrid hair and rules a decrepit country. He conceives a child with his feeble-minded cousin. Against all odds, their daughter, princess Gertrude, is a lovely, angelic girl. When the male population sees Princess Gertrude, they get a permanent, painful erection. As a result, the birth rate explodes, famine breaks out, a revolt looms. The answer? Off with her head! And that is only the beginning…

Strange yet erotic, cheerful yet sad, violent yet gentle. Manah Depauw unleashes some of her darkest fantasies.

Motus

2012-05-22T16:24:14+02:00

A powerful contemporary tragedy

How can you turn outrage into action? Italian company Motus tries to find out and unearths stage classic Antigone. While developing the play in Greece, the country hit rock bottom as a 15-year-old boy called Alexis was killed during the financial crisis and the ensuing riots. The incident aggravated the already dire situation and lead to widespread protests among all layers of the Greek population. Motus decided to change their course and turned their attention to protest and revolution instead.

A year after Alexis was killed in 2008, Motus pays an overdue visit to the place where he died. Or is it never too late for action? Alexis, a Greek Tragedy is a hard-hitting piece that leaves you with a heavy conscience.

Motus is a renowned Italian company. Lead actress Silvia Calderoni’s charming and energetic appearance grabs the attention of the audience and keeps it there.

Codice Ivan

2012-05-22T16:40:49+02:00

Codice Ivan is a young Italian company consisting of three playwrights. In 2009, they received the Premio Scenario, a renowned Italian stage prize, for their debut performance Pink, Me & The Roses. GMGS_What the hell is happiness focuses on the ultimate goal of man: happiness. But does anyone know what happiness really is and where to find it? In their quest, Codice Ivan uncovers the connection between a T-shirt and a fridge. Madonna also makes an appearance as the stage slowly fills up with protest signs and chalk drawings. In the end, the piece hopes to find an answer to how we should live our lives.

During their stay in Ghent, Codice Ivan will also perform Tank-Talk, a street performance they describe as a “project for collective urban action”. The piece is based on the legendary Tank Man, the anonymous man who stood in front of a column of tanks in Tienanmen Square in 1989 to prevent the forcible removal of the protesters. The images travelled the world and Tank Man achieved widespread recognition. Codice Ivan will try to stop motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians and enter into debate with them. Everyone is free to participate.

Mette Ingvartsen

2012-05-22T16:58:43+02:00

The Artificial Nature Project is the final instalment in a series of performances by choreographer Mette Ingvartsen focusing on observation and sensations in nature. She fictionalizes and choreographs natural phenomena. 2009’s Evaporated Landscapes revolved entirely around bubbles, foam, mist, light and sound. Actors were nowhere to be seen. In The Artificial Nature Project, dancers interact with inanimate objects. But once again, the objects take over and dominate the humans.

Debris flies through the air, the landscape changes continuously, and a confetti storm rages across the scene as the stage slowly gets covered with all sorts of thin, thick, heavy, light, big, small, fragile and sturdy objects. Slowly, the dancers construct a body from these objects. The body is no longer human, but a large flying mass. The result is a succession of fascinating images that washes over the audience at breakneck speed.

Gérald Kurdian

2012-05-22T17:09:36+02:00

The Magic of Spectacular Theater is a cross between musical comedy, a documentary and a magic show. Kurdian is inspired by the occult, paranormal and illusionism. While mediums and the like claim that what they do is real, illusionism explicitly revolves around make-believe. However, they are both based on the proposition that there’s more to life than meets the eye.

Can we stretch the boundaries of what is humanly possible? Kurdian accepts the challenge and worked with a real illusionist during the production of this show. Teleportation, attempts at flying, props such as trick boxes or a fiery cage, you will see them all during this performance. The set was designed by Philippe Quesne – who you might remember from La mélancolie des dragons – who will present his new piece later on this season.

Mette Ingvartsen

2012-05-22T17:15:22+02:00

Dancer Mette Ingvartsen – a former member of P.A.R.T.S. – is known for her explicitly physical work. 2008’s In the air was a choreography for two on the trampoline. All the way out here is a powerful performance with and about vocal expression. Together with actor Guillem Mont de Palol, Ingvartsen pushes her voice to the limit. It is a way of expressing her feelings, from fragile modesty to ecstatic enthusiasm and extreme anger. As the duo takes these emotions to the limit, their human qualities are all but lost.

De Koe

2012-05-23T11:48:07+02:00

ZWART is the last part of De Koe’s trilogy on The Reconstruction of the West. WIT, the first part, was about youth, a pristine blank page. ROOD revolved around Elizabeth Taylor, who symbolized love and passion. In BLACK, the last part, Peter Van den Eede, Natali Broods and Willem de Wolf focus on art. They delve into the history of Western art, from the Renaissance up to the present day. In doing so, they hope to find out how they can bring art history to the stage while staying true to the facts. How can they talk about art without sounding too condescending? And what can the past tell us about the future? Who knows, it might lead the three of them to a new beginning. Back to the innocence of WIT.

Luc Perceval & Ted Stoffer / NTGent

2012-05-23T11:50:25+02:00

Coming

Rosas

2012-05-23T11:56:55+02:00

Contemporary adaptation
of a key piece
in Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s career

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker created Elena’s Aria in 1984. It became a pivotal moment in her career. She used video and text for the first time and moved away from the repetition that marked her earlier work. The dancers do not dance to rhythmical music, but to arias, various sounds and long stretches of silence. It was a way of questioning her own work. Her doubts and restlessness come to the fore in a desolate performance. By performing this piece once more with young dancers, the introspective and retrospective character of the piece is given an extra dimension.

During Almost Cinema and the Film Festival Ghent, you’ll be able to watch ‘Rain’, a documentary that offers a look at the production process of Rain with the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet.

TG STAN

2012-05-23T12:02:33+02:00

This season, STAN will perform an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Wine Dierickx – known for her roles in Wunderbaum and Loft – and promising Portuguese actor Tiago Rodrigues take the stage alongside STAN regulars Jolente De Keersmaeker and Frank Vercruyssen.

Nora is a housewife who’s had enough of being domineered by her father and husband. Ibsen wrote the piece in the late 19th century, a period of great change and revolution which saw the end of a romantic world view in favour of a more hopeful future. Over a century later, the Western world finds itself in much the same situation. The piece questions social dogmas and subtly uncovers the pitfalls of family life, combined with STAN’s characteristic restrained nonchalance and the spirited performance.

Andros Zins-Browne

2012-05-23T12:14:29+02:00

Theatre is largely a visual experience, but Andros Zins-Browne’s work intends to stimulate all your senses. Zins-Browne offers the spectator an overall experience incorporating smell (selected by perfumer Laurent-David Garnier), mist, temperature changes, wind, soundscapes and a reflective foil set. The audience gets to wear costumes, adding to the general confusion. Who is part of the conspiracy and who is just an innocent bystander?

Welcome to the Jungle turns our world upside down and shows you a universe where nothing is certain. For this piece, Zins-Browne was inspired by “global weirding”, a concept that tries to bring the effects of global warming under the attention of the general public. As he gets entangled in his quest for an innovative ecosystem, Zins-Browne offers a unique experience for just 25 viewers a show.

De Roovers

2012-05-23T12:49:10+02:00

Timon, a well-to-do citizen of Athens, likes to flaunt his wealth by throwing fancy dinners and parties and making large donations. Until the day he gets a visit from his creditors and all the money is gone. Timon seeks advice from his so-called friends who were regulars at his house, but when he asks them to borrow him money, they flatly refuse. Once a charming man, Timon turns into a misanthrope. He retreats to the woods and starts plotting his revenge.

De Roovers present their adaptation of Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens.
It is the first installment in their Dollarcyclus, a series of pieces that will dissect the layers of (financial) misery.

Philippe Quesne

2012-05-23T13:47:05+02:00

Phililppe Quesne won the hearts of the audience with witty, charming performances such as ‘La mélancolie des dragons’ (about six rockers who drive around with a mobile amusement park until their car breaks down) and ‘L’Effet de Serge’ (about a man who performs a weekly show for his friends in his apartment). A vooruit.be user thought the show was “the best thing I ever saw at Vooruit”, while the VRT described it as “a masterpiece” and “an endearing and powerful piece”.

For this piece, the French playwright travelled to Japan to work with four young actresses. The outcome is not entirely clear yet, but knowing Quesne, you can probably expect a touching, surprising and unusual piece. The performance will have its world premiere at Vooruit.

The performance on 19/3 will be followed by a free talk with the makers

Meg Stuart / Damaged Goods

2012-05-23T13:45:20+02:00

In May 2011, Meg Stuart and Damaged Goods set up camp at Vooruit to show the Ghent audience een keuze van werken uit haar rijkgevulde carrière te presenteren. She also selected a few works by acquainted artists, such as Varinia Canto Vila’s ‘During Beginning Ending’. Stuart now returns with four dancers, including Canto Vila. Together they descend into the awe-inspiring vortex of energy designed by Stuart. The show will be accompanied by live percussion and electronica performed by Brendan Dougherty, who previously worked with guitarist Jochen Arbeit of Einstürzende Neubauten and dancer Jeremy Wade.

Yan Duyvendak & Roger Bernat

2012-05-23T13:54:33+02:00

Please, Continue (Hamlet) is a trial rather than an actual play. The scene is set in court. Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s most well-known creations, is tried for the murder of Polonius. Apart from three actors, all roles are played by real lawyers, a judge and a psychiatrist. The audience plays the role of the jury and will have to decide on Hamlet’s guilt. This important role comes with great responsibility. Duyvendak and Bernat refer to the audience as “spect-actors”. The audience is relentlessly forced to think about excess and abuse in contemporary society.

Yan Duyvendak could previously be seen at Vooruit in November with ‘Made in Paradise’, together with Omar Ghayatt. Roger Bernat performed ‘Pending Vote’ in November.

Ontroerend Goed / The Border Project

2012-05-23T14:03:31+02:00

non-stop heavyweight acting till the lights go out

Five players. Five rounds.
Your voice.
One survivor.

A mismatched struggle
in a boxing ring on stage

the stakes:
your attention, your love, your appreciation
your laughter, your empathy, your emotion
your sympathy, your weak spot,
your schadenfreude, your desire for more
your embarrassment, your shame
your heart, your support,
your taste

We will help you decide with surveys, political quizzes, coalitions, campaigns, debates, consultants,
exit polls, spin doctors, political candidates and referendums.

We will make sure the best man doesn’t win.

Dominique Brun

2012-05-23T14:17:35+02:00

The Rite of Spring is a ballet created for Les Ballets Russes by Sergei Diaghilev. It premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913. The piece brings together the work of three of the most influential artists in European art history, i.e. choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky, costume and set designer Nicolas Roerich, and composer Igor Stravinsky. The ballet tells the story of a primitive tribe that sacrifices a young woman to the god of spring.

Exactly 100 years later, the piece is performed at the Vooruit building, which will also celebrate its centenary in the 2013. Le Sacre #197 (after the original French title Le Sacre du Printemps) is an adaptation of the original piece by French choreographer Domique Brun. Although the ballet has been performed over and over again, very little is known about the original choreography. French early 20th century artist Valentine Hugo made fourteen drawings of the final part of the ballet. Brun and her dancers used these to reconstruct the original choreography.

Le Sacre # 197 is an attempt at regaining attention to the power of rituals and the human body. Brun draws on previous adaptations of The Rite of Spring, ranging from classical ballets to modern dance. This legendary ballet and its intriguing character still resonate today. Juan Pablo Carreño adapted Stravinsky’s original score and Debussy’s fragments for mezzo soprano.

The performers will be followed by a free talk with the makers

This piece, as well as On Sacred Ground: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, a concert by The Bad Plus, is part of the VOORUIT 100 centenary celebrations.