THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER
Ask someone to jump and you’ll see their true face, said the American photographer Philippe Halsman. What is the true face of dance in these uncertain times? What would we like to show, what would we like to see? THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER shows eight dancers that give in to one physical act: the jump. A repetitive exhaustion, that will prove the dancers to be nothing more than performers, at the service of.. yes, what exactly? After a few engaging and intrusive solo acts about the beauty of the imperfect body, Jan Martens now creates something completely different. It is a critical performance about the thin line between art and tricks.
Starting point for the work is a quote by American photographer Philippe Halsman who said back in 1958: “When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears.”
THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER is a work that tries to reveal the person behind the dancer. To reach this, a very complex, mathematical, dynamic and tiring choreography is constructed, which is performed almost completely in unison.
The difficulty degree of the choreography is so high, that the dancers eventually will go wrong. It is there where the mask falls. The work is a physical attrition wherein the dancer is defined as an idle and purely executing species, striving for perfection.
But THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER has also a more reflective aim.
It is a performance that wants to provoke thoughts with its audience. Thoughts about the role of dance and art; It wants to question the audience’s perception about dancers, choreographers, audience and culture policy. Where lies the thin line between art and entertainment? Who are we as an audience, coming to see dancers suffer as if we are watching bullfights in an arena? What do we want to achieve as an audience? Do we want to experience an intensity, which is maybe not apparent in our daily life? Do we want to experience beauty, which is maybe not apparent in our daily life? Is contemporary dance striptease for the upper class?
THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER wants to make the watcher shift between being in the experience and reflection on that same experience. The performance will be a work that brings the spectator in a trance, but will also create a distance and time for that same spectator to question his or her reasons to be where they are right now: in the theatre.
CREDITS
PREMIÈRE: 20 March 2014, Frascati Amsterdam (NL)
By: Jan Martens
With: Cherish Menzo, Nelle Hens, Piet Defrancq, Kimmy Ligtvoet, Steven Michel, Julien Josse, Laura Vanborm en Naomi Gibson
Unerstudies: Morgane Ribbens, Ilse Ghekiere, Amerigo Delli Bove, Daniel Barkan, Connor Schumacher, Caspar Knops en Victor Dumont
Light: Jan Fedinger
Drama: Renée Copraij
Techical: Michel Spang
Time: 70 minuten
Production: JAN en ICKamsterdam
International bookings: A Propic / Line Rousseau en Marion Gauvent
Coproductions: DansBrabant, Frascati Producties, SPRING performing arts festival, tanzhaus nrw, CDC du Val-de-Marne La Briqueterie, TAKT Dommelhof
With the support of: workspacebrussels and wpZimmer
With financial support of: Vlaamse overheid and het Fonds Podiumkunsten
Thanks to: Dansateliers and Conny Janssen Danst
Photo by: Anna van Kooij
For pressmap or financial and technical conditions please contact Line Rousseau or Marion Gauvent
2018
10 March 2018 walker arts center MINNEAPOLIS USA
09 March 2018 walker arts center MINNEAPOLIS USA
10 February 2018 dansens hus STOCKHOLM SE
09 February 2018 dansens hus STOCKHOLM SE
2017
05 May 2017 humain trop humain CDN MONTPELLIER FR
04 May 2017 humain trop humain CDN MONTPELLIER FR
02 May 2017 theater HEERLEN NL
01 April 2017 la condition publique & cdc le gymnase ROUBAIX FR
16 March 2017 schouwburg odeon ZWOLLE NL
24 February 2017 cc de palethe OVERPELT BE
09 February 2017 festival antigel GENEVA CH
14 January 2017 cc de spil ROESELARE BE
12 January 2017 corrosia theater ALMERE NL
2016
21 December 2016 grand theatre GRONINGEN NL
14 December 2016 tu NANTES FR
13 December 2016 tu NANTES FR
10 December 2016 la rive gauche ST ETIENNE DU ROUVRAY FR
25 November 2016 salmon festival mercat de les flors BARCELONA ES (#100)
23 November 2016 de lawei DRACHTEN NL
02 November 2016 romaeuropa festival ROME IT
29 October 2016 desingel ANTWERPEN BE
15 October 2016 belfast international arts festival BELFAST UK
14 October 2016 belfast international festival BELFAST UK
09 sep 2016 tanztheater international HANNOVEMBERER DE
23 June 2016 athens & epidaurus festival ATHENE GR
15 April 2016 ietm meeting de brakke grond AMSTERDAM NL
02 April 2016 tanzquartier WENEN AU
01 April 2016 tanzquartier WENEN AU
05 March 2016 kvs box BRUSSEL BE
04 March 2016 kvs box BRUSSEL BE
19 February 2016 cc casino KOKSIJDE BE
18 February 2016 cc kortrijk KORTRIJK BE
17 February 2016 cc maasmechelen MAASMECHELEN BE
14 February 2016 cc ‘t perron IEPER BE
12 February 2016 cc de werf AALST BE
02 February 2016 le carré CHATEAU GONTIER FR
30 January 2016 théâtre des abbesses PARIJS FR
29 January 2016 théâtre des abbesses PARIJS FR
28 January 2016 théâtre des abbesses PARIJS FR
27 January 2016 théâtre des abbesses PARIJS FR
26 January 2016 théâtre des abbesses PARIJS FR
21 January 2016 stuk LEUVEN BE
20 January 2016 stuk LEUVEN BE
16 January 2016 de meervaart AMSTERDAM NL
15 January 2016 cc de westrand DILBEEK BE
14 January 2016 cc het gasthuis AARSCHOT BE
13 January 2016 schouwburg ARNHEM NL
09 January 2016 theater frascati AMSTERDAM NL
08 January 2016 theater frascati AMSTERDAM NL
2015
04 December 2015 teatro municipal do PORTO PT
31 October 2015 dance center VANCOUVER CA
30 October 2015 dance center VANCOUVER CA
29 October 2015 dance center VANCOUVER CA
24 October 2015 national arts center OTTAWA CA
23 October 2015 national arts center OTTAWA CA
22 October 2015 national arts center OTTAWA CA
17 October 2015 usine-c MONTREAL CA
16 October 2015 usine-c MONTREAL CA
15 October 2015 usine-c MONTREAL CA
12 October 2015 wexner arts center COLUMBUS OHIO US
11 October 2015 wexner arts center COLUMBUS OHIO US
01 October 2015 theaters TILBURG NL
13 sep 2015 dansens hus OSLO NO
12 sep 2015 dansens hus OSLO NO
10 July 2015 naf GRAHAMSTOWN SA
09 July 2015 naf GRAHAMSTOWN SA
06 June 2015 tanztage POTSDAM DE
05 June 2015 tanztage POTSDAM DE (#50)
09 May 2015 tanzhaus nrw DÜSSELDORF DE
08 May 2015 tanzhaus nrw DÜSSELDORF DE
29 April 2015 magdalenazaal BRUGGE BE
16 April 2015 la rose des vents VILLENEUVE D’ASCQ FR
15 April 2015 la rose des vents VILLENEUVE D’ASCQ FR
31 March 2015 scène nationale 61 ALENCON FR
28 March 2015 biennale du val-de-Marchne/ next CRETEIL FR
27 March 2015 biennale du val-de-Marchne/ next CRETEIL FR
26 March 2015 biennale du val-de-Marchne/ next CRETEIL FR (première FR)
20 March 2015 tanzhaus ZURICH CH
05 March 2015 printemps de sévelin LAUSANNE CH
04 March 2015 printemps de sévelin LAUSANNE CH
30 January 2015 antwerpse kleppers / toneelhuis ANTWERPEN BE
2014
20 November 2014 cc de werft GEEL BE
26 October 2014 tanz in bern / dampfzentrale BERN CH
25 October 2014 tanz in bern / dampfzentrale BERN CH
16 October 2014 kc nona MECHELEN BE
14 October 2014 tspeelhuis HELMOND NL
12 October 2014 arca theatre PRAAG CZ
04 October 2014 nederlandse dansdagen bordenhal MAASTRICHT NL
03 October 2014 verkadefabriek DEN BOSCH NL
02 October 2014 cc ter vesten BEVEREN BE
26 September 2014 queer / abrons arts center NEW YORK US
23 September 2014 toneelschuur HAARLEM NL
20 September 2014 takt dommelhof NEERPELT BE
05 sep 2014 het theaterfestival / desingel ANTWERPEN BE
04 sep 2014 het theaterfestival / desingel ANTWERPEN BE
23 August 2014 tanzhaus nrw DÜSSELDORF DE
21 August 2014 International festival / les brigittines BRUSSEL BE
20 August 2014 international festival / les brigittines BRUSSEL BE
08 August 2014 theater aan zee OOSTENDE BE
07 August 2014 theater aan zee OOSTENDE BE
06 June 2014 dance week zagreb / queer zagreb ZAGREB HR
21 May 2014 springfestival / schouwburg UTRECHT NL
20 May 2014 springfestival / schouwburg UTRECHT NL
13 May 2014 30cc schouwburg LEUVEN BE
08 May 2014 chassé theater BREDA NL
07 May 2014 rotterdamse schouwburg ROTTERDAM NL
27 April 2014 spring forward festival UMEA SE
25 April 2014 de warande TURNHOUT BE
24 April 2014 ccbe BERCHEM BE
22 April 2014 ccha HASSELT BE
12 April 2014 korzo DEN HAAG NL
09 April 2014 theater de veste DELFT NL
04 April 2014 campo GENT BE
03 April 2014 campo GENT BE (première BE)
22 March 2014 theater frascati AMSTERDAM NL
21 March 2014 theater frascati AMSTERDAM NL
20 March 2014 theater frascati AMSTERDAM NL (première NL)
19 March 2014 theater frascati AMSTERDAM NL (try-out)
12 March 2014 theater de nwe vorst TILBURG NL (try-out)