Arkadi Zaides: an encounter 20.10.'20
Arkadi Zaides: an encounter with the driving force behind Necropolis (Co-laBo #18) Archive , Zaides’ captivating solo piece that was already featured on the programme of KunstenfestivaldesArts. But part of the Eye on Palestine artistic team was not thrilled with the prospect of collaborating with an Israeli choreographer, no matter how critically the work positioned itself. Archive , however, was by no means an in your face or sloganesque statement, but rather a barebones and minimalist work, conceptually radical and pure. Its starting point was the image archive of B’Tselem, an Israeli NGO that distributes cameras amongst ordinary Palestinians to allow them to document the injustice inflicted on them by colonists or the military. Out of that huge collection of imagery, Zaides picked the least spectacular: the profanities, the stomping, the bullying. By looping the images, he, and the viewer with him, get trapped, as it were, inside the injustice. In addition to the images, Zaides, an ex-dancer from Batsheva, also commits his body to the struggle. As the Palestinians are standing behind the camera, the screen logically only shows Israelis. He embodies his fellow countrymen with a hint of masochistic revulsion, time and again, with variations, if need be, an arsenal of primal violence treated as choreographic material. The raging, raving and scolding bodies are lifted up from their vertical (powerful) axis, and laid out on the ground or danced in reverse, with matching sounds. Archive alongside Badke , a performance with 10 Palestinian dancers I co-created. Zaides agrees to a public conversation with Palestinian dancer Farah Saleh who is a fierce proponent of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions). Some of the Palestinian dancers watch the performance of Archive and attend the debate (that can only exist because it hasn’t been framed as a Palestinian-Israeli peace-talk). What they would especially like to hear from Zaides is why he selected such ‘soft’ images, when their daily lives are more violent. He doesn’t defend himself or seek excuses. It marks the beginning of a dialogue between him and Farah Saleh which continues to this day. What binds them at that moment, is the research into an archive of movements, into the way history grafts itself onto the bodies.Archive tours practically non-stop for 3 years. The first project Zaides creates on European soil, Thalos , seems a more difficult proposition. In it, he embodies a slick salesperson of monitoring systems for European border control. It’s as if the international theatre market resents him for no longer creating performances on Israel-Palestine. The way he sees it, it’s simple: he cannot create shows about what goes on there from his new, European perspective; he is living in Europe now, so he should confront the problems in / from Europe. As a legal migrant, he tackles the border experience in Thalos , and puts the refugee front and centre in his subsequent Necropolis . Necropolis premiers in Montpellier in November 2020, he will have worked on this piece for 3 years. His starting point, again, is a document. Kept by United, it is a list of deaths of people who have tried in vain to build a new existence in Europe. It includes over 40,000 entries by now, a large part of them unidentified, mentioning little more than an N.N. and a date of death. Zaides has set himself the objective of visiting every tomb (or having it visited by you and me) and filming the path towards it from the entrance of the cemetery, framed with summary information about the tomb’s geolocation, about birth and circumstances of death. In the meantime we listen to a description of the Necropolis from Greek antiquity, which is the cradle of European civilization, after all. But increasingly you have to ask yourself the question: how civilized are we really, if we allow so many people to die at our gates anonymously? This time, again, Zaides has explored the most radical ways to express the impact on the body. It goes almost without saying that dancing is out of the question here. How could we embody the dead? By reanimating their bodies? Zaides came up with an astonishing transformation. In the midst of the ubiquitous political spectacle about refugees, “Necropolis” offers a chance, an opportunity to give the victims of the European border policy back their humanity. A small-scale show with a far-reaching impact, a grand gesture made by a defenceless human being. Necropolis
newsitem added on 20.10.'20
Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost 26.10.'20
Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost Mélanie Lomoff dances Swan death
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28.10.'20
The premiere in the Vooruit Arts Center is postponed to the next season, but this doesn't stop Frank Van Laecke, Alain Platel and Steven Prengels from exploring material already. This autumn, together with Ineke Nijssen, Pascale Platel and Gorges Ocloo, they are working in studio S3 at the creation of Mein Gent . On Saturdays they are joined by a group of Ghentians. Mein Gent
newsitem added on 28.10.'20
Want to be invited to our studio? 16.10.'20
We will gladly keep you in the loop about open rehearsals or presentations. Fill in your e-mail address here and you'll be added to the mailinglist which we only use to announce these open studio moments.
newsitem added on 16.10.'20
In Co-laBo: NECROPOLIS by Arkadi Zaides 15.10.'20
As one of the artists from the Co-laBo residency program, Arkadi Zaides and his team were working on Necropolis in our studio in September. In October Arkadi Zaides and his interdisciplinary team return to Ghent to continue the residency before Necropolis premieres at Montpellier Danse festival.Necropolis . For their research-based performance, Arkadi Zaides and his team delve into the practice of forensics to outline an invisible city of the dead mapped from the graves of the migrants who could not reach their final destinations in Europe. At the bottom of the sea, on the shores, and inland, a mass of decomposed bodies tells the story of a collective whose ghost hovers over European territory. Freedom of movement needs to be returned to the bodies who are admitted to Europe as corpses.Co-laBo residency , les ballets C de la B, Ghent (BE) - residencyMontepellier Danse (FR) – première
newsitem added on 15.10.'20
Golden Afro Artistic Awards 2020 06.10.'20
On Saturday 3 October thirteen artists from different art disciplines were honoured at the 5th edition of the Golden Afro Artistic Awards in the Théâtre National in Brussels. The Awards celebrate artists of African origine in Belgium.Serge Aimé Coulibaly , Fredy Massamba , Isnelle da Silveira . Congratulations!Tarmac .
newsitem added on 06.10.'20
les ballets C de la B in 15 minutes 09.06.'20
les ballets C de la B in 15 minutes ‘this dance is for the world and the world is for everyone'.
newsitem added on 09.06.'20
12.03.'20
BLOOMSBURY PUBLICATION A time to rejoice at les ballets C de la B. English-language publishers Bloomsbury have just published the academic publication put together by Christel Stalpaert, Guy Cools and resident dramatist Hildegard De Vuyst. An impressive tome, the publication consists of several contributions that look back at an eventful 35-year journey: from a collective to a platform to a company around director Alain Platel. It coincides beautifully with a new turning point in the history of les ballets C de la B. To put an end to any and all misconceptions: Alain Platel does not stop making productions. The next one will be called Mein Gent and will be produced at Vooruit, together with Frank Van Laecke. The fact is, an artist does not retire. True, the organization will no longer be built exclusively around his works. But that was never the case to begin with. Les ballets C de la B has always looked for ways to share resources, infrastructure and knowhow. These past few years, this idea gained extra traction via the “Co-laBo” residency programme. It gave us a first-hand chance to witness the works of Serge-Aimé Coulibaly, Lisaboa Houbrechts, Ehsan Hemat, Selma & Sofiane Ouissi and Arkadi Zaides, a.o. It is with these people we will continue to talk about the future. To think about Platel’s real legacy together: the grand gesture. How can you make a grand gesture for the world today, using an intimate medium like a stage and a small instrument like a body as your conduit? A book launch of The Choreopolitics of Alain Platel's les ballets C de la B was planned for Saturday 21 March, but is cancelled due to the measures taken to prevent the Covid-19, the Corona-virus, from spreading.www.bloomsbury.com/9781350080010 www.lesballetscdela.be/en/projects/in-co-labo/introduction/info/
newsitem added on 12.03.'20
17.06.'19
Requiem pour L. – a book After months of preparation, creation and rehearsing, Requiem pour L. premiered in January 2018 in Berlin. More then ever, the whole process got under the skin of director Alain Platel and found its expression in his diary notes. As if he needed to write this performance out of his system, Platel developed the notes into a book. The book does not only tell about the personal experiences of Platel during the creation of Requiem pour L. , it also takes you through the fascinating history of les ballets C de la B, from the living room experiment in the eighties towards the internationally acclaimed dance company that it is today.Requiem pour L. will be published in dutch by EPO. Everyone is warmly invited to the book presentation: June 19, 7.30pm at the Parnassuskerk (Oude Houtlei, Ghent) Free admission. Please, confirm your presency with this form: https://forms.gle/vL2noNrLWLgv5WRv5
PROGRAMMAlink .
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03.10.'18
The music of Fabrizo Cassol's Requiem pour L. (inspired by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, conducted by Rodriguez Vangama and staged by Alain Platel) can be bought on cd either after the performance in the theatres or online through this link: https://outhere-music.com/nl/albums/requiem-pour-l-out-663
newsitem added on 03.10.'18
Oceans are rising, so get informed 25.02.'20
Oceans are rising, so get informed Red line in the city Oceans are rising, so get informed " is a campaign that provides accessible information about the causes, consequences and solutions for global warming. A red line is applied to buildings throughout Flanders at two meters height, symbolizing the rise in seawater levels. The Ghent cultural sector is also joining: De Expeditie (MiramirO, Cie Cecilia, Aifoon, Victoria Deluxe), Danspunt, NTGent, Handelsbeurs, KASK / Conservatory, les ballets C de la B, Kopergietery, Campo and De Krook put a red line on their facade. The line in Ghent was also installed on buildings of UGent and Hogent.
newsitem added on 25.02.'20
10.05.'19
Since 2004 les ballets C de la B lends its active support to a cultural boycott of Israel. Because of the increasing tension, les ballets C de la B relaunches the call to support the cultural boycott of Israel. Alain Platel emphasizes the relaunch with an open letter:Open letter by Alain Platel (les ballets C de la B). really am not much of a hero and it is always with a heavy heart that I swing into action, when I feel that it is necessary. It is even harder when I am forced to disagree with fellow artists – whose work I admire immensely – in this respect when they claim that these kinds of actions or statements either are not ours to take or make, or don’t help matters whatsoever.and Palestinian artists, both in the Occupied Territories and here in Belgium, however, leaves me no choice. Since my first visit to the Occupied Territories – in 2001, and this during the intifada – I became convinced that the resolution of the conflict in this part of the world could be crucial and could give a huge boost to a positive development in the whole region, and by extension, East-West relationships as a whole. Of course, this is very naïve and utopian, but I believe that harbouring such utopian hopes is a good thing. After all, I see very little or no evidence of how the existing political and military structures do/did get things moving.why , more than ever, I want to make a plea for a delicate, yet special citizens’ initiative: the support for the (cultural) boycott of Israel.everywhere in the Occupied Territories.every day in Palestinian territories. Every day, Palestinians are still being harassed, discriminated against, picked up, locked up or – where ‘necessary’ – simply shot. The OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), a United Nations humanitarian organisation, for instance, regularly publishes the shocking figures of the ‘invisible victims’ who are killed there every year. (see: http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2014_10_02_english.pdf ).real , constructive and permanent solutions. A (cultural) boycott is nonviolent but is incredibly irritating and with ardent advocates such as archbishop Desmond Tutu is in very good company.www.bacbi.be www.vrede.be this link .
newsitem added on 10.05.'19
22.11.'19
les ballets C de la B supports HART BOVEN HARD www.hartbovenhard.be
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18.10.'17
Les ballets C de la B wants to invest in the next generation by taking in residents who will get the opportunity to be coached in their work by director Alain Platel and Hildegard Devuyst, Platel’s dramaturg for more than 20 years. The basic idea are one-month-residencies in one of the studios at les ballets. There are no prefixed artistic conditions, no exclusives when it comes to form or movement language. Young artists who think their work would benefit from a residency, can apply by mailing to Hildegard De Vuyst. hildegard@lesballetscdela.be
newsitem added on 18.10.'17
