On November 28 in the cultural center of CC Berchem in Belgium I saw a piece by Ann Van den Broeck, Co(te)lette. It was performed by three woman on stage and the piece was about different facets of women. The stage consisted out of blank white drapes without props which made me focus on the actions of the dancers. It resembled in my point of view a plain canvas creating the image that there were no limitations for the dancers. The music, an electronic mix, created a constant underlying tension for the performers as well as the audience. This tension that the music generated started slowly and silently, hardly noticeable and eventually it overpowered the dancers, giving me the feeling that they were being manipulated. Beauty standards, sexual desires, flesh and meat, tenderness, rawness, urges and desires that women have are the main aspects that come to mind when I think back to Co(te)lette and that were incorporated in the choreography.
The piece began with a long build up from the dancers who were moving their butt’s from side to side facing the audience. The first impression that I already started feeling five minutes into the piece was a desire that I couldn’t describe towards these women. Through out the entire piece the dancers stayed in connection with each other and I felt that there was a constant build up towards intense female emotions and physical states. Due to the intensity that kept rising I stayed interested and involved in the piece, the music and lighting also changed with the dancers enhancing the atmosphere. The movements felt confronting and controversial because they touched a different side of femininity that I wasn’t used to. A side that felt disturbing yet pleasing because it felt as if they were presenting themselves as raw meat or an object. One example that refers to the comment about 'meat' is that one of the dancers undressed and presented herself nude and was thrown across the stage, beaten and mistreated as if she meant nothing. This provocative moment in Co(te)lette seemed like an insinuation in relation to the meat industry.
I enjoy Ann Van den Broeck’s movement material because it is filled with honest and humane emotion’s and the power in the physicality that makes me want to jump out of my skin. She mainly works with strenuous physicality and conflicting emotional topics and I wonder how her choreographies would change if she approached physical and mental states in a completely different way. This was the first piece I saw by Ann Van den Broeck and it’s been one of the only piece’s that gave me goosebumps. I wouldn't recommend this piece to everyone because I know it's controversial and confronting but if you feel that your ready to see something surprising and untouched then it's worth the decision.
Choreography and concept Ann van den Broeck
Music editing and mix Arne Van Dongen and Yves De Mey
Light Design Bernie Van Velzen
Dancers Frauke Mariën, Cecilia Moos and Sura Dohnke
Production WArd/waRD
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