When I look at a Strawberry, I think of a Tongue. @ Chambres d’O Festival!

Nothing cozier than spending the dark winter nights together indoors. On January 27th and 28th, De Grote Post and Theater aan Zee organise the Chambres d’O living room festival in Ostend (BE). The city’s cultural centre and summer festival join their forces to realize this heart-warming festival in which music, theater, dance, literature and visual arts are shown in the intimacy of a living room. Prepare yourself for a unique experience, in cozy private homes in various places in the city. During unexpected encounters with (fellow) city dwellers on the sofa, artists surprise you on a few mere square meters.

We are proud  and happy to share that we will present When I look at a Strawberry, I think of a Tongue. twice on Saturday January 27th in two different living rooms.

Hope to see you there!

Dancers / choreographers Lisi Estaras and Serge Aimé Coulibaly, musician / composer Mirko Banovic and dramaturge Sara Vanderieck are inspired by Goliarda Sapienza`s novel The art of Joy. The grand and sensual history of a woman who has only one goal in life: to be free.

Sexual desire, the growth into adulthood, social and political engagement flow through this ingenious novel and form the base for a subtle quadrangular relationship that fans out to and with the audience. The different story layers are executed in an original playlist of separate tableaux. The playlist of each performance depends on the artists, the audience and the specific setting of the living room.

When I look at a Strawberry … an intimate seduction dance between movement and music.

tickets are available here.

 

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When I look at a Strawberry, I think of a Tongue… let’s tease you a bit!

On September 23rd and 28th we presented the result of the first month of creation of When I look at a Strawberry, I think of a Tongue in Ostend and Avignon. We had the chance to perform on three specific locations: the gallery Beausite (programmed by De Grote Post), the Art Centre KAAP by Ostend’s seaside with it’s beautiful view and the welcoming Théâtre des Doms next to Avignon’s Palais des Papes.
Those three performances sold out quickly and proved to be a wonderful and precious experience.

For those amongst you who could not be present, we have made a small teaser to share a glimpse of the Strawberry experience.

Enjoy & don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us!

 

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Bára Sigfúsdóttir’s being gets it’s first reviews: ***

© Aëla Labbé

The belgian newspaper De Morgen sent a critic to Bára Sigfúsdóttir‘s being‘s first night last Thursday in Campo Nieuwpoort. Jan Dertaelen gave *** to the performance and reads it as a piece about meeting the other.

“In the following hour, the two dancers will slowly gain an eye for each other, grow towards the other and try to relate to each other. What we see is a meeting, and what we learn is that every meeting occurs according to its own laws and rules.”

Those amongst you understanding Dutch can read this article here: “Dansen mag, aanraken niet.” 

Belgian magazine Knack‘s critic Els Van Steenberghe also rates the performance with three stars.

“…looking at the struggling dancers whose movements give them alternately something human and something animalistic, you think about how your movements may reflect your personality.”

Those amongst you understanding Dutch can read this article here: “‘Being’ verplicht u om het dier in uzelf te erkennen”

Curious to discover being yourself?
you can find the performance dates here.

Bára Sigfúsdóttir’s being gets it’s first reviews: *** Read More »

being – 3 more weeks to opening night

© Maryam Ghiasi

In 2017 Bára Sigfúsdóttir creates her new performance called being in which she collaborates with two Iranian artists, Masoumeh Jalalieh and SeyedAlireza Mirmohammadi.

In this performance the body serves as a poetic instrument and common ground to put in dialogue the West-European with the Iranian culture and society.

After residencies in Brussels and Neerpelt (without Alireza because of visa issues), Potstdam, Groningen, Tehran and Istanbul we are finalizing the creation in Ghent from Monday on.

If you’re curious to learn a bit more about the journey of this creation, check out the blog with contributions of the whole cast and crew here.

The premiere of being will take place at CAMPO (Ghent, BE) on 26th and 27th of October 2017. being is Bára’s first creation within her trajectory of performing arts resident at Kunstencentrum Vooruit in Ghent.

Further performance dates of being can be found in the calendar.

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Kalakuta Republik @ Avignon’s Festival as seen by the press

© Christophe Raynaud de Lage

This summer Serge Aimé Coulibaly’s Kalakuta Republik has been presented in Europe’s major summer festivals and not in the least: Le Festival d’Avignon. To get selected for Avignon’s prestigious “IN” Festival is a great honour. To enjoy the audience’s standing ovations, an enthusiastic press and multiple interesting exchanges about the work has been a strong and amazing experience for the entire cast and crew.

For those amongst you who haven’t joined us at the summer festivals, here are some impressions through the eyes of others (a simple click on the quote brings you to the article):

“The result is a non-stop succession of movements, each new, for more than an hour, in a thrillingly inventive act of choreographic rebellion.
The second part of Coulibaly’s show demolishes the clichés of the wild party and confirms his talent. In this one work, while remaining true to himself, the choreographer has crystallised years of research” – Le Monde

 

“Serge Aimé Coulibaly is one of the leading lights of contemporary dance on the African continent today and his presence at this 71th edition was, quite simply, a must.” – Vaucluse Matin, Edition Avignon et Carpentras

 

“Kalakuta Republik offers dance that is absolutely distinctive, far removed from clichés of African dance and far removed, also, from Western canons.” – Tout Lyon Affiches

 

“Thunderous applause. Kalakuta Republik cannot be described: it has to be experienced. The dancers’ performances are breathtaking: their bodies speak, laugh, shout, weep, and corrupt each other. We decode their words and their misfortunes, and admire the endurance and strength they display throughout an hour and three-quarters. All are endowed with a certain charisma that brings a great personality and life to the performance; the casting, it must be said, is admirable. A sustained, deafening outburst of applause broke out at the conclusion of Kalakuta Republik, which was undoubtedly one of the great choreographic successes of this edition of the Festival d’Avignon.” – Boite à culture.com

 

“Dance won, borrowing from all repertories, just as Fela did (jazz, yoruba rhythms, funk…), revealing every individual in the company […] and what is of interest here, is this broken dance which never ceases to rise up again from a background of profound nostalgia.” – Délibéré, Marie-Christine Vernay,

 

“Urgent anchored in the earth, the dance is rushed, searching, carried throughout by remarkable performers. Kalakuta Republik is a strong, complete work that awakens our hearts and our consciences.”  – Danser Canal Historique,Agnès Izrine

 

“ In his criticism of contemporary Africa, Coulibaly tirelessly asks one question – what role should or can play an artist  in today’s charged world? His choreography, his dance, his personal presence on stage is Coulibaly’s response to this question.” – Yana Meerzon

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Monkey Mind Feest

Monkey Mind Feest – what a party!

Last Saturday July 1st, we presented Lisi Estaras‘ creation Monkey Mind Feest at Ostend’s contemporary dance festival Dansand!

This one time event was a dance party in the spirit of Lisi’s Monkey Mind choreographic material. With this material she aims to convert the endless chatter inside your head into movement.

Over the course of a season, working with different audiences, and supported by a research grant of the Flemish Government, she has devised the ‘Monkey Mind’ methodology.

De Grote Post organized a masterclass series for 50+dancers, art school MUDA invited Lisi for a project with their students, Lisi continued to research the material with Platform K‘s professional dancers with down-syndrome Hannah, Kobe and Fernando and with several other professional dancers.

Putting this research to good use, she’s created a unique party in the public space including people from all different research episodes especially for Dansand!

a few impressions

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in the belgian newspapers

De Standaard published a lovely interview with Lisi. You can read it here.

De Morgen published an article about the collaboration between Lisi and Platform K. You can read it here.

Het laatste nieuws published a small article about the collaboration between De Grote Post and Lisi. You can read it here.

credits

Choreography Lisi Estaras | Dancers Irene Rousolillo, Fernando Amado, Hannah Bekemans, Kobe Wyffels, Fons Dhossche, Magda Ral, Eric Steyaert, Marjan Colombie, Lief Weuts, Kries Hoornaert, Ingeborg Vandenbulcke, Chris Soenen, Lut Van Malderen, Caroline Slabbinck, Mieke Boonen, Catherine Barbez, Lieve Polet, Nadine Machtelinckx & Sam Louwyck| Music Bartold Uyttersprot | Dramaturgy & Artistic assistance Sara Vanderieck & Quan Bui Ngoc | Production De Grote Post | With the support of De Provincie West-Vlaanderen en KAAP | With the collaboration of Platform K & Monkey Mind vzw

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Catch us at this summer’s festivals!

For those who are curious to discover my dramaturgical / outside eye work: it is all over the festivals this summer!

You can find Lisi Estaras‘ work in Ostend’s summer festivals. She will create a special version of La Esclava and the unique Monkey Mind Feest for Dansand at the beginning of July and will present Monkey Mind in  Theater aan Zee at the end of that same month.

Serge Aimé Coulibaly will present his Kalakuta Republik in Africologne, Tanzhaus NRW, MARS, Festival de Marseille, Festival d’Avignon, Theaterfestival Boulevard, Tanz im August and Kampnagel Sommerfestival. In the fall he will continue touring the piece all over Europe. You can find all announced performances here.

Naïf Productions will also be present with their latest creation La Mécanique des Ombres in the Festival d’Avignon  in July.

And last but not least Bára Sigfúsdóttir and Eivind Lønning will share their beautiful TIDE with Julidans’ audience in Amsterdam.

I hope you will catch up with us somewhere!

Check this calendar to discover where and when you can find us. A simple click on the list next to it will bring you to the organizer’s websites.

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