SHSH

Closer, a performance by the Belgian company deepblue, is an experimental dance performance in which the audience was invited into the performing space with wireless headphones, in order to feel the genetic level of the dance movement.

The challenge was to create an extremely artificial surrounding yet at the same time and a very natural organic space for both performers and audience. This also meant creating maximum freedom for the audience in a limited theatre space.

The design consists of a huge artificial forest using around 2,500 bamboo sticks. This upside-down landscape is hung and painted in light grey tones, in order to remove it further from naturalism and to create a more abstract and contemporary expression for the audience. This Bamboo Forest softly waves when dancers and audience touch it. It creates an ambiguous distance between the performers and spectators and allows the dance to be seen from 360 degrees.

Closer toured extensively throughout Belgium, France, Norway and Switzerland.

Choreography : Heine Røsdal Avdal , Yukiko Shinozaki

Video design : Heine Røsdal Avdal

Sound design : Christoph De Boeck

Scenography : Shizuka Hariu (SHSH)

Lighting design : Arne Lievens

Technical assistance : Jeroen Wuyts

Production : deepblue

Support : Vlaamse Gemeenschap , V.G.C.

Collaboration : WP Zimmer (Antwerp), Vooruit (Gent), Stuk (Leuven), Dans in Limburg, Dans in Kortrijk, Bergen Internasjonale Teater, Norway,

Thanks : Kaaitheater , P.A.R.T.S.

Photo by : © Giannina Urmeneta Ottiker