Is it all improvised?

Every piece and every show is improvised. The spatial and temporal organisation and the interaction between the dancers are based upon a set of rules, while the individual movements are based upon a set of everyday movements, choreographed phrases and a number of improvisation techniques. Since the "input" as well as the rules and techniques differ from piece to piece, every piece has a distinct signature. Since the dance is improvised each performance is singular.

It's not that I dismiss choreography, however I do believe that my particular approach to dance, which combines improvisation and choreography is a better means of investigating the complexity of our time than the singular mind of an artist who organizes his or her material in three to four weeks.

How would you describe your work?

Between rationality and irrational exuberance. I think my approach to dance is probably rational, but it gives way to minimalism, dirty realism and the kind of deconstructed neo-baroque extravaganza that you also see in the work of say Comme des Garçons, Alexander McQueen and Philippe Starck. It all depends.

What is it about?

Each performance starts as a question and ends as the answer to the question it asks. It "is", it does not need the support of either meaning or reference for its existence. But apart from my more formal interest in language and the emergence and dissolution of structures and patterns, the frictions caused by modernization and globalisation and the fact that much of life is governed by chance are recurring elements in my work and of course joy, since I believe in dance as an expression of joy and a celebration of life.

What is the relationship between your work as a choreographer and your research?

In my performances I just do whatever I feel like. I don't work according to some methodology. Obviously my work is informed by my research, just as my research is informed by my experience as a choreographer, I am not entirely schizophrenic, but it is not an illustration of my research.

Didn't (..) already do that?

I don't claim that every aspect of my work is original. I do believe that my background is special if not unique and that taken as a whole my way of working sets me apart from many other choreographers. Over the past 10 to 20 years I have seen countless dance performances as well as many hours of video recordings of dances from different cultures. So while my experience is necessarily limited I think I have some idea of what's going on in dance. By the way, you would be surprised what dancers and choreographers did in 19th century Italy and ancient Egypt!

I'd like to audition with you?

I don't have any contracts to offer as of this moment. However I always like to hear from dancers enthusiastic about my approach to dance for future reference.

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