NachtHexen I

by

Jens van Daele's Burning Bridges

       Girls and girls at the Stadstheater the 9th December 2018. Jens van Daele based this creation on the Russian night bombing regiment Taman during World War II, focusing on the women's roles in it, from pilots to technicians. He also put Jeanne D'arc in the present. Wondering how she would fight in our present time. Jan van Daele in this piece might want to showcase the woman strength putting them in a war field. 

     Impossible to miss the start of the show, the drums bombard the room, flashlights from a luminous neon moved into a jerky way toward the first dancer presenting herself. Staying on the same spot she moves energetically. The four dancers present themselves that way. On stage all are managed by girls (two musicians, four dancers, the comedian and the technician). The stage set is composed of many elements : a big red percistent light dot, drums, a piano, electronic music tools, a woman with electronics stuff is managing the light and perched on a podium the comedian with a microphone is whispering, suffocating, spitting some words in Dutch, french and English. Different languages maybe considering women from different horizons. On the floor some grey shadows, looking like a tree without leaf shadows, linked to this kind of tree present on stage. 

    All along the piece, every single element on stage have a role and moves except the tree staying faithful to itself, planted in the same place being the storm witness without its leaves. The musicians are really involve in the moving mood of the piece and the temperature even sometimes cracking matches in front of a microphone. The comedian performance was really linked with the dancers' energy. Like she was the voice and they were the body expression. The combination of those five women(dancers and comedian) was like the expression of one.

     Now you probably noticed this piece was full of ideas and what I'm writting is a small part. I saw this piece as the course of a fight. Women struggles with themselves or the outside world. In the texte presenting the piece Jan van Dael showcase his will to touch as much as possible the hearts of the audience. But I felt this will too intense and maybe a bit aggressive by this surplus of information. And it could break the audience attention. Some people left the theater during the piece. Still, beautiful image came out of the piece also because the symmetrical beauty of the girls restored this kind of disorder of too many elements.

The piece still ends in a sensitive way, restoring my first reluctant reaction. Showing the softness of those four strong women being cared by the technician helping them to be well placed during their sleep. The hug moment also where the comedian says "merci beaucoup" (thanks so much in french) to everyone hugging them. The piece received finally big applause. To see this piece I really recommend to read the purpose and the context of it to allow yourself to have a softer reception of this creation.

Credits:

Choreography & direction: Jens van Daele

Text: Hanne Struyf
Game & dance: Hanne Struyf , Patricia van Deutekom, Cécile Lassonde
Music: Alexandra Bellon , Viva Sanchez... on piano, cello, percussion and electronics
Music composition: Richard van Kruysdijk
Lighting design: Tom Verheijen