"Frans Poelstra, his dramaturg and Bach"
Frans Poelstra & Robert Steijn (Netherlands)
March 25, 26, and 27, 2005
Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8pm
Post-show discussion on Saturday with Lin Hixson
Admission $12
Links Hall
When a choreographer reaches a certain age, he cannot avoid the music of Bach anymore. Especially when he is asked to make a performance for a theatre space at a dance festival. How will Frans Poelstra survive on an official dance stage and how will he tackle the dilemma of presenting both a homage to the sophisticated Goldberg Variations and a performance in line with his usual destructive way of improvising? There will be a battle between the prerecorded variations by Bach and the live input and impulses of the performers. They will show the making of a performance on the spot: live image-making, live dancing, live confessions, live storytelling, live (mis)behavior, live dramaturgy and live video-editing. Their performance zooms in on the here and now of the theatre, fighting with the perfect time management of Bach.
Frans Poelstra - as a kid Frans Poelstra stared more into the waters of the canals in Amsterdam than being at school. He still hasn't got a degree, but he kept his dreams. Dreams of being the next Jimi Hendrix, but he had no talent to play the guitar, so he decided to work in the theatre, the place where you can dream on a professional level. First he worked as a technician, later on as a performer. For him, performing is a matter of keeping channels open (in order to think, to listen and to dream, without taking any responsibility for form, structure or interpretation). As a performer he wants to dance through all possible virtual realities of thoughts and associations. During the collaborative improvisation event "Tarzan" he realized that Robert Steijn triggered him to be open, caring and trustful. On the basis of this experience they decided to work together on this solo project.
Robert Steijn - as a kid Robert Steijn played more with dolls than with cars. He still hasn't got a driving license, but he has had a lot of girlfriends. Dreaming of becoming a dancer, but not exactly excellent in sports, he decided to study dance studies to become a dance dramaturg. He happened to be the first dance dramaturg of the Netherlands. For him dramaturgy is a matter of keeping channels open (in order to think, to listen and to dream, without taking any responsibility for form, structure or interpretation). As a dramaturg he wants to dance through all possible virtual realities of thoughts and associations. During the collaborative improvisation event "Tarzan" he realized that Frans Poelstra triggered him to be severe, sharp and nihilistic.