Danskerk | Dansen over grenzen

PROGRAMME

Wood Nymphs 
Claudia Karapanou en Tatiana Koleva

In Wood Nymphs, two fascinating musical cultures meet in their infinitely rich rhythmic variety: flamenco and the world of Balkan rhythms. The hands of percussionist/marimba player Tatiana Koleva and the feet of flamenco dancer Claudia Karapanou engage in a resounding battle. A brand-new project by Flamenco Biënnale under the artistic direction of renowned Bulgarian-Dutch composer Tatiana Koleva. Claudia Karapanou’s choreography was created based on Florian Magnus Maier’s musical composition Soleá, composed especially for marimbo phenomenon Tatiana Koleva.

Present
Marne van Opstal

The programme concludes with the duet Present, created earlier this year by internationally acclaimed choreographer Marne van Opstal for the Ukrainian International Ballet (now based in the Netherlands). The ballet company represents a beacon of cultural resilience and artistic resistance, offering a platform to Ukrainian dancers who have become scattered across the globe.

In Present, Van Opstal invites the audience into a world of the now — a profound exploration of reality embodied through an intense dialogue of the consciousness of two exceptional dancers. Their movements, emotions, and interactions weave a vivid tapestry of the present moment, urging the viewer to reflect on their own sense of presence.

The duet will be performed by Vladyslava Kovalenko and Vladyslav Detiuchenko. The latter already appeared on the stage of the Danskerk last year with his own duet.

Rutkay Özpinar
Aphorism

Rutkay explores the swirling thoughts that constantly surface in his mind, a dialogue between his inner self and the world around him. His movement language, which blends modern dance, classical ballet, Turkish folk dance and hip-hop, is deeply rooted in his heritage. From the grounded strength of Turkish folk traditions to the fluidity of contemporary forms, he creates a new vocabulary of undulating motion, isolations, dynamics and expression. 

His

With His (meaning ‘feeling’ in Turkish), Rutkay draws directly from the rich tradition of Middle Eastern and Turkish folk dance, especially belly dance. He breaks through boundaries between masculinity and femininity and embraces his sensuality, celebrating his body as both dancer and storyteller. His precise articulations and flowing movements pay tribute to the detailed beauty of this heritage, offering a contemporary reflection on tradition, identity and transformation. ​​​​​​​

That One Thing (premiere)

Barbara D'Agostino (Stichting GeneesKunst) was at the beginning of a great dance career when she was diagnosed with leukemia in 2014. She recovered, but the chemotherapy left its mark on her body. This was no reason for her to stop. The dancer in her lives on powerfully. In That One Thing, Barbara takes her position because dance bubbles up inside her and rushes through her body. The strength, limitations, courage, and pain are driven by the cadence in her body and come to life.