When people or animals move across a loose surface of sand or earth, they leave traces. Their foot or pawprints ‘describe’ the surface and remind us of the original meaning of the word choreography: ‘writing with movements’.
Contre-jour takes place on a sandy plain. Six female performers walk, run, skip and move like cats on hands and feet. They create various types of ‘impression’, that they erase each time to make space for new signs, a new choreography. But they also do it so that they can disappear, because leaving traces can be dangerous: for example if you trespass on someone’s property or want to cross a national border unnoticed.
Contre-jour is the latest production by not standing, Alexander Vantournhout’s company, where every creation starts with a fundamental interrogation of movement. After productions including the duet Through the Grapevine (which you were able to sample earlier this season at nona), and the production on location SCREWS (2019), selected for THEATERFESTIVAL 2020, Alexander Vantournhout has opted for the role of choreographer only for the first time, giving the stage to six female performers with very diverse backgrounds in dance, musical, circus and more.
concept and choreography
Alexander Vantournhout
assistant to the choreographer
Emmi Väisänen
creation and performance
Kim Amankwaa, Philomène Authelet, Noémi Devaux, Aymara Parola, Astrid Sweeney, Emmi Väisänen
stage directions
Rudi Laermans & Sébastien Hendrickx
rehearsal directors
Maria Ferreira Silva, Anneleen Keppens, Esse Vanderbruggen
voice coach and musical stage directions
Fabienne Seveillac
lighting design
Harry Cole
costumes
Sofie Durnez
videographer
Stanislav Dobak
with thanks to
Euridike De Beul, Tom de With
management
Esther Maas
technical producers
Rinus Samyn & Bram Vandeghinste
production and tour management
Aïda Gabriëls
distribution
Frans Brood Productions
producer
not standing
co-producers
Kunstencentrum Voo?uit, Cirque-Théâtre Elbeuf (FR), Le CENTQUATRE (FR), Theater op de Markt, Theater Freiburg (DE), Charleroi Danse, Lithuanian Dance Information Center (LT), Peeping Tom
with the support of
the Flemish Government and Tax Shelter
in partnership with
Mechelen Cultural Centre
Alexander Vantournhout is an artist in residence at Kunstencentrum Voo?uit in Ghent and an associated artist at CENTQUATRE in Paris and Cirque-théâtre Elbeuf. Alexander Vantournhout is supported by the Fondation BNP Paribas for the development of his projects.
Location
Beeldsmederij De Maan
Minderbroedersgang 3
2800 Mechelen
België
