Puur

In PUUR, Krisztina de Châtel presents the results of an intensive several-week creative process during which she worked with a group of dancers who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and rheumatism. Set to music by Astor Piazolla and with costumes by Aziz Bekkaoui, this unique and unusual dance performance combines beauty, physical effort and emotion.

Choreographer de Châtel likes to seek inspiration in people you would not otherwise expect to see dancing on stage. She has previously worked with garbage collectors (Zooi), firemen (BRAND!) and road pavers (ÚT OET). Time and again, she creates powerful performances using the individuality of her dancers. In PUUR, she works with people with Parkinson’s disease, MS and rheumatism. The performers’ impairments challenge de Châtel to seek out new possibilities; in fact, it is from the impairments that beauty arises. PUUR stimulates the performers’ body, mind and imagination.

De Châtel and Dance for Health
PUUR was created in close cooperation with the Dance for Health Foundation. Working under the slogan ‘Change people’s life through movement’, the organisation has developed a dance and movement method. Since 2013, this method is used to help improve the quality of life of people with chronic physical impairments.

Dance for Health founder Marc Vlemmix, who was himself diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010, is closely involved in the artistic process of de Châtel and the Dance for Health dancers. He will also personally contribute to the performance that was instigated by de Châtel.

Parkinson’s disease, MS and rheumatism
People with chronic physical impairments often develop problems in areas such as balance, strength, coordination, posture and flexibility. Dance helps improves their quality of life. The success of Dance for Health’s dance method lies in that it goes beyond just physical effort; imagination, beauty and emotion are also important guiding principles that structure the organisation’s philosophy. By working with de Châtel, the dancers are able to bring together all these elements in one unique production.

premiere 15 June 2017
choreography Krisztina de Châtel
music Astor Piazzolla
costumes Aziz Bekkaoui
photography Rob Hogeslag

PUUR is a co-production of De Châtel sur Place and Dance for Health and received financial support from the Cultural Participation Fund and the VSB Fund.