Onderstebavo

For the Kwartiermakersfestival in Haarlem, Krisztina de Châtel made a choreography for the amateur dance company Vanuit Marlies. This dance company is largely composed of members with a psychiatric history.

Krisztina de Châtel about Onderstebavo: ‘During the preparations for Onderstebavo I quickly saw how the creation process should develop. I hardly had to demonstrate the movements. If I made one arm movement, the dancers of Vanuit Marlies immediately adapted it for their own use: some would loosely wave their hands around, while others would use very restrained and soft movements. In the relationship with the objects in the choreography the human aspect was more important than spatial considerations: the touching of an object, the intimacy and the fact of totally losing oneself in simple acts like displacing an object, turning or moving wildly through space. These elements led to the development of a choreography in which the human quest is of fundamental importance. A quest for the self, for a balance between the self and the surroundings.

Onderstebavo is about contrasts: structure and individual freedom, fixed patterns and spatial freedom, majestic organ music and sober piano music.

The St. Bavo Church is a tangible source of inspiration. I incorporated the corridors, the pews, the high columns and the space around the central altar in the choreography. In the performance the dancers also engage in a physical relationship with objects that are brought into the church: chairs and screens covered in netting.”

premiere 27 September 2004 Grote of Sint Bavokerk, Haarlem
choreography Krisztina de Châtel
dancers from Dansgroep Vanuit Marlies and from Dansgroep Krisztina de Châtel (Swantje Schäuble)
music different fragments
organ and piano Kees Huges
stagedesign and light Matthias Vogels, stichting Anders Beleven
costumes Aziz
photography Evelien Bruijn