les ballets C de la B invited in Japan
18.01.'21
From Feb 4 till Feb 21 the 26th edition of Yokohama Dance Collection will take place, a dance platform that developed over the years into a prestigious international dance festival in Japan. One of the highlights of this year's edition was Out of Context-for Pina by Alain Platel. Due to Covid-19 measures, it turned out to be impossible to travel and an alternative was worked out. les ballets C de la B will be present at the festival by a screening of 4 selected films and an on-line lecture by Alain Platel for choreographers. ° documentary: Gardenia. Before the last curtain falls (Japanese premiere!) ° Nicht Schlafen (2016, Alain Platel) ° Coup Fatal (2014, Fabrizio Cassol, Alain Platel, Rodriguez Vangama, Serge Kakudji) ° Out of Context-for Pina (2010, Alain Platel)
all information: http://yokohama-dance-collection.jp/en/program/program06/
newsitem added on 18.01.'21
Necropolis online at Vagamondes festival
18.01.'21
Organized by La Filature in Mulhouse (FR), Les Vagamondes festival offers an international and multidisciplinary outlook and strives to overcome borders through various artistic works. This year’s online edition will be devoted to the Mediterranean space. It presents a focus on Arkadi Zaides’ most recent works Talos and Necropolis , that both question the migratory movements happening in Europe and at its borders.Talos by Arkadi Zaides : VIDEO N° 387 disparu en Méditerranée , by Madeleine Leroyer, of which the research has inspired Arkadi Zaides for Necropolis : FILM Necropolis by Arkadi Zaides : VIDEO During the creation of Necropolis , Arkadi Zaides had a residency at ballets C de la B (Co-laBo #18 ). If you want to know more about it, please, continue the reading on how we met Arkadi here .
newsitem added on 18.01.'21
To be seen at vrt.be: Gardenia
18.01.'21
The documentary Before the Last Curtain Falls tells the story of great love, bitter disappointments and self-doubts – but most of all of courage. The courage to take risks, try something new and be yourself – no matter what age. The film dives deeply into the exceptional and heart-warming stories of a group of transsexuals and drag queens in their sixties and seventies, who summon up their bravery to take to the stage one last time. For two years they have been touring in five continents, basking in the success of a spectacular show called Gardenia , directed by Alain Platel and Frank Van Laecke in collaboration with composer Steven Prengels. Now, as the show comes to a close, the glamorous aging performers must leave the limelight and go home to the quiet lives they left behind. Documentary by Thomas Wallner and Eva Küpper, to be seen here until January 31.
newsitem added on 18.01.'21
How are les ballets C de la B doing?
18.01.'21
There are many people who ask us what the impact of COVID-19 is on the work of les ballets C de la B. We cannot tell this story without telling another one, a story that had already begun before the lockdown or corona virus came to enrich our vocabulary. The impact of COVID-19 on les ballets C de la B is huge - we are no different from others in the performing arts. But at the same time, corona came to reinforce a transition that started two years ago. Where we are today has more to do with the thorough rethinking of long-term operations than with the temporary management of a sanitary crisis. For les ballets C de la B, it will never be business as usual again. That line was drawn the day before the premiere of Requiem pour L. in January 2018. Director Alain Platel, lynchpin of the company, indicated that he no longer could or wanted to bear responsibility for the wellbeing of the employees. The company had been reorganized exclusively around his work from 2013 onwards. In 2017, a modest development trajectory was added in the form of the Co-laBo’s . No matter how enthusiastic Platel was about this residency program, his creations remained the driving force for the company. Every creation had to be a bull's-eye; every tour had to live up to the programmers' expectations. The ups and downs of about thirty people depended on it: performers, technicians, seller and administration. That is a heavy weight on the shoulders of just one person. It used to be different: the burden was carried by many creative shoulders. Until 2012, les ballets was a platform for various choreographers, but the then advisory committee for dance objected. They only wanted to support the organisation if it would organise itself exclusively around Platel's work, something that passed his own wish to share. For the outside world there was no problem. On the contrary: applause all-round for the percentage of own income that les ballets C de la B achieved, often thanks to solid international tours and co-productions. From the inside, however, we understood with advancing insight that the economy on which the company was based was gradually destroying us. Platel was on the verge of exhaustion, and staff had to deal with depression and burnout as well. Things had to change. We wanted a clean slate. For Requiem pour L. the tour was still done the old way in collaboration with Frans Brood Productions (more than 130 dates); for Mein Gent , the new creation, it would be radically different: first three weeks of playing at Vooruit in Ghent, then imagining how to set up the project needing the participation of a 100 volunteers elsewhere. And above all, for the future, we wanted to look again for various artistic partners and reconnect with the DNA of les Ballets: one nest for many broods.Then the pandemic broke out. We were one week before the premiere of C(H)ŒURS 2020 with Opera Ballet Flanders, with performances in Ghent and Antwerp, and the prospect of a historic version in the antique theatre of Epidaurus for the Athens Festival. Performances of Requiem pour L. were planned in Canada and the USA (Erna and Valerie worked on the administrative preparations for almost half a year - visas for Congolese and South Africans, which has become much more difficult these days). Out of Context-for Pina was intended for Festival de Marseille, Nicht schlafen at the end of the summer for Calabria. All this was scrapped, and the team became technically unemployed. From September we started up again, with residencies of Arkadi Zaides and Cassiel Gaube. Although the premiere was postponed for a year until January ‘22, the rehearsals of Mein Gent got off to a flying start with Steven Prengels, Frank van Laecke and Alain Platel at the table, and - at a safe distance - Pascale Platel, Gorges Ocloo and Ineke Nijssen. At the start of the lockdown we had already decided not to play/tour until July ‘21. This brought peace in the ranks. We tried to let all rehearsals and residencies take place as much as possible, and tried to develop new working methods and artistic ideas - which we would like to elaborate on in the next newsletter. If we look back, we have to conclude that there have been a few casualties in the planning. Nevertheless, all in all, the damage is limited, because the transition to a different way of making and touring was already underway. The financial loopholes were plugged with government support measures: subsidies are being paid while employees go into technical unemployment. Many things have been postponed but not lost, such as C(H)ŒURS 2020 which is now planned in OBV, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, for March ‘22 or the C de la B workshops in Tunis. Requiem pour L. will not, however, get a second chance. The Congolese and South African performers received compensation for lost income from the company because they were not eligible for Flemish support measures. We are weathering the hurricane because in recent years we have already taken steps in a direction that is only being reinforced by COVID-19. This means that we are refocusing on the local connections, and are fleshing out our strong international presence differently. The future will once again be based on a sharing economy. From 2023, the start of a new subsidy period, we will be working with new partners alongside Alain Platel. This is the perspective that is keeping our heads up for the time being. We will be happy to tell you more about this in our next newsletter. The team of les ballets C de la B
newsitem added on 18.01.'21
27.01.'21
The premiere in the Vooruit Arts Center is postponed to the next season (2021-2022), but this doesn't stop Frank Van Laecke, Alain Platel and Steven Prengels from exploring material already. Together with Ineke Nijssen, Pascale Platel and Gorges Ocloo, they working during a first rehearsal period at the creation of Mein Gent in autumn 2020. On Saturdays they were joined by a group of Ghentians, for the time this could be organised conform the corona-measures. Mein Gent , a production of les ballets C de la B and the Vooruit Arts Center. To be seen in the 2021-2022 season. We will keep you informed of the performance dates.
newsitem added on 27.01.'21
Hopeful ideas for the future
20.01.'21
Curator Pierre Muylle and Masereelfonds are joint by an artists’ collective, composed by Alain Platel, Gerda Dendooven, Ben Benaouisse, Lisaboa Houbrechts and Mario Debaene. Together they are looking for hopeful, inspiring “ideas for the future”. This can be done through a photo, poem, essay, film, text, (picture of) a work of art, or however you want. will chose the ideas that touch and inspire them the most. Participants have the chance to win a partipation in the creative process with the collective and publication in a book. All ideas welcome before January 31. Continue reading this call here .VIDEO
newsitem added on 20.01.'21
01.12.'20
“I’d never thought that watching people sing could evoke so many emotions. In 2001 I was asked to come up with a project for the iconic Roundhouse in London. We invited a selection of about sixteen amateur-choirs who would sing their favourite song in the Roundhouse. Along the way of visiting and searching for those choirs, Sophie Fiennes made a documentary. She has a unique observational cinematic style that translated this process into the right images, so overwhelming that people who weren’t there at the performances, could have a similar emotional experience by watching the film. A real boost in these times.” Alain Platel recommends strongly Because I sing , a documentary by Sophie Fiennes, released in 2001, produced by Artangel & Channel Four. Watch the documentary here:
Because I Sing from les ballets C de la B on Vimeo .
newsitem added on 01.12.'20
Arkadi Zaides: an encounter
20.10.'20
Arkadi Zaides: an encounter with the driving force behind Necropolis (Co-laBo #18) I first met Arkadi Zaides in 2014 during the preparation of the Eye on Palestine Festival at KVS. The idea was to showcase an installation linked in 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. It had actually gotten Zaides into trouble in Israel, the state that had welcomed him as an 11-year old emigrant from Belarus. The ministry of Culture threatened to take away his subsidies, and riffraff were rounded up in Jerusalem to disrupt an evening themed around ‘archive’. 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. It’s a form of exorcism that eventually starts hurting your eyes. You want to exonerate him: after all, you’re not the one who did all that. YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR THIS. But that sort of comfort (or redemption of white guilt) is not for Zaides: there is only one possible way: leave Israel and search for another homeland. I am blissfully unaware of any of this when I get into a conversation with him at the bar of Café Congo in 2014. Carrying out my very own Israeli check, I ask about his military service. He says he had himself declared mentally unfit for service. That is sufficient for me, but I cannot seem to change the minds of the companions from Eye on Palestine. Our next meeting is set in Manhattan. New York Live Arts has programmed 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 . When 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. Hildegard De Vuyst Dramaturge les ballets C de la B Arkadi Zaides continues the development of Necropolis in the Co-laBo residency
newsitem added on 20.10.'20
Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost
26.10.'20
Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost With these words from Pina Bausch, we'd like to share here small moments of remarkable beauty. Just below: Mélanie Lomoff dances Swan death
newsitem added on 26.10.'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
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). Ghent, 12 October 2015. I would once again like to make a clear call for the support for the (cultural) boycott of Israel. I 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. My (artistic) collaboration with Jewish 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. And this is 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. Recent hot news from this region only reaches us when unspeakable cruelties are inflicted on Jewish citizens. We are not told, however, what actually triggered them. It always seems as if yet another Palestinian extremist brutally attacked innocent Jewish civilians in a moment of insanity. What we don’t hear, for instance, is how Jewish settlers and other extremists meanwhile are allowed to engage in constant (often violent) provocations; what’s more, under the continuous protection of Israeli soldiers, in the Palestinian districts, at the Al-Aqsa mosque and by extension, permanently and everywhere in the Occupied Territories. Photographer Filip Claus has recently made a short film about such an event in the city of Hebron. This is a Palestinian city on the West Bank (so-called Palestinian territory!) with approximately 200,000 inhabitants, where 800 illegal settlers live who are permanently guarded and supported by some 2,000 (!) Israeli soldiers. The Jewish settlers take regular ‘sightseeing walks’ in the Palestinian part of the city, accompanied by a small army of Israeli soldiers, at that … A daily (!) shocking, provocative presence. This is one instance of continuous harassment, besides the much more radical actions. Gaza is still an open-air prison; land, properties and possessions of Palestinians are still being systematically and illegally confiscated or simply destroyed. Illegal settlements are still being built 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 ). You could ask yourself here how it is possible that, at first glance, Palestinians seem to respond to this in such a resigned way. The massive military protection, the continuous legal and administrative preferential treatment of Jewish settlers, and selective reporting encourage this. As many have been predicting for a long time, this inevitably leads to radicalisation on both sides, which we have clearly seen increase for some considerable time now. And as many have been predicting for a long time, we once again find ourselves on the brink of an intifada. The third intifada, as it is being called. And if this one, just as predictably, is crushed in a horribly violent way, the situation may calm down again for a while … as we wait the fourth intifada and the fifth, the sixth … etc. to kick off. Unless much more, clear pressure is exerted on the Israeli government(s) to work on 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. Alain Platel les ballets C de la B Info about the Belgian Campaign for an Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel:www.bacbi.be www.vrede.be More information about the point of view of les ballets about the cultural boycott, can be read via this link .
newsitem added on 10.05.'19
Oceans are rising, so get informed
25.02.'20
Oceans are rising, so get informed Red line in the city Twelve cultural organisations in Ghent are joining the campaign “Oceans are rising, so get informed”. By a red line on their facade – the symbolic rise in sea level – they encourage everyone to get well informed about the causes, consequences and solutions in the climate change, as a first step to prevent global warming. "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
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. Want to know more about the book? www.bloomsbury.com/9781350080010 More information on Co-laBo: 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. The book 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
PROGRAMMA Words by: Alain Platel, Thomas Blommaert (uitgeverij EPO), Elke and Dafne (L.’s daughters). Music: Russell Tshiebua. For more information, click on this link .
newsitem added on 17.06.'19
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
22.11.'19
les ballets C de la B supports HART BOVEN HARD Hart Boven Hard is a citizens’ initiative that unites individuals and organisations concerned about the planned policies of the Flemish and federal governments. Ranging from students and pensioners to social and cultural organisations, they all aim for a society that opts for ‘heart before hard’. The initiative was born in Flanders and is gradually expanding into French-speaking Belgium too. The francophone counterpart goes by the name of Tout Autre Chose. More info: www.hartbovenhard.be
newsitem added on 22.11.'19
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