Dance is for everybody

Dance connects

"Dance has a connecting power," says Noortje Bijvoets, Head of Dance Artist. "Through dance, you can connect with people in a different way than verbally. We all have insecurities and we live in our own bubble. It's good to connect people. If you work with someone physically, you can strengthen each other. That works both ways."

"It is important for dance to gain a firmer foothold in society."

Valuable for all

Dancing brings joy to the people of Scalabor. They also get something substantive out of it by experiencing strength and freedom while dancing with young people who are searching for exactly what they want in their lives. For students, it is incredibly inspiring to be in a different situation or work culture for a change. They start moving differently and thinking differently about concepts of dance. "It's one big adventure and I don't know how it ends, except that it's fun," says Adriaan Luteijn of Introdans.

In short, this project is valuable for both groups, as you can see in the video impression:

"I am very happy about this opportunity and the cooperation with Scalabor and Introdans. Gaining life experience is important. We can easily say that our school makes an impact outside the walls of the theatre, but how do we do that? With this project, we can visualise it."

A student’s perspective

After the final performance, student Burja Podlesnik shared her experience: “We had four days together in the space to create a performance about the new ways of working, imprinting dance into the space and simultaneously saying goodbye to it, since the space that will be renovated in the future. The making of the piece was a fluid collaboration between the choreographer and all performers. It circulated around the phenomenon of connecting. If not for this project an interaction between the dance students, Introdans and people working at Scalabor would not happen naturally. With a gentle push we merged together and connected regardless of our differences.

This project was a one-of-a-kind experience that made me reflect on dance and the purpose of it. It demanded patience, trust, adaptability, willingness, creativity, compromise… It made me realize the power that I hold as a part of a group, the way I can influence a working space, the way I have a power to lift and empower the people around me, how I can affect the space in a positive way. I was shocked to the discover the power of my smile. It made me realize that I can build connection and kindness everywhere I go, not only in this project. I have the power to create or at least contribute to the space and the environment of which I would like to be a part of. Accepting difference, being respectful and kind.

We had a big audience watching. Their response and energy were amazing. Experiencing and witnessing the affect we had on the people provoked a question of who are we dancing for? For who am I making my art for? Being aware of the social bubble of contemporary dance this project made me question ways of expanding the bubble and bringing dance to people in other ways.”

“I believe that as artists we hold a certain responsibility; to make change, to give voice to something that has no voice, to have a certain affect. This project made me feel as if I was making change. I danced along people who might have never danced before, we went through an experience together and through the performance we also showcased that we can build connection anywhere.”

Dance Artist

Dance Artist, the ArtEZ modern and contemporary dance course, trains you to become a dance artist with your own position in the work field.

Discover more about this course

Credits:
Choreography: Adriaan Luteijn - artistic manager and choreographer of Introdans
Guided by Team Interaction Introdans: Mironne Gerritsen, Diana Vieira Alves, Louise Harmsen
Dance presentation:
Scalabor employees: Janet Schutte, Martha Machiels, Hennie Bochoven, Tamara Bloem, Petra de Beijer, Brigitte Nijenhuis, Olga Boer, Jan van Duinkerk, Wendy Siep, Anita Mahieu, Wendela Verkaik, Riet Hendrixen, Hanneke van Doorn, Freddie Tutuarima, Kees Nijdam, Bert Gerrits.
ArtEZ students: Tinka Brinkman, Vince De Cock, Eloy Cojal, Gaia Di Caro, Ella van Koeveringe, Aleksandra Krapiva, Pia Macerol, Oscar Magnusson, Laura Martens, Bernat Martínez Sardà, Charlotte Nauwelaers, Emiko Ophei, Alexandros Papadakis, Jae Yeon Park, Eléonore Piquemal, Burja Podlesnik, Inês Sampaio Fertuzinhos, Anna Vandorpe, Patrick Wiel, Bente Wouters, Emma Zeimen.
Film: Itmoves - Inge Theunissen