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)