About Lucian by Jens van Daele

Friday, 6 March 2015

Stadstheater Arnhem

Choreography & scenography: Jens van Daele

Composition & live music: Richard van Kruysdijk & Raphael Vanoli
Lighting design: Tom Verheijen

Costume design: Mirthe Engelhard

Explosive, energetic, powerful, fast, raw and honest is how I would describe the piece‘About Lucian’ by choreographer Jens van Daele. Once again Jens van Daele uses live music. During the performance the five dancers (three women and two men) are accompanied by post- rock music that is performed by a percussionist and a guitar/keyboard player. The strong music intensifies the movements of the dancers and forms a rhythmical base throughout the whole piece. ‘About Lucian’ is an ode to British painter Lucian Freud and in the piece his oeuvre is brought to life. Most of his paintings belonged to the realism art movement. Characteristic of his works are that he created raw realistic and honest paintings and that he painted a lot of nudes. Different elements of the performance refer to the work of Lucian Freud and interesting is the way how Jens van Daele worked with them.

Nudity plays, just like in a lot of Freud’s paintings, a role in the piece. The piece starts with a naked dancer that dresses herself on stage and ends with a naked dancer as well. This last 
dancer is the dancer that represents gay performer, nightclub personality and important model of Lucian Freud's paintings Leigh Bowery. However, the dancers are not only exposing themselves literally, they are also exposing their feelings. They are not hiding their feelings, but are honest towards the audience. When the dancers get tired they cry out and with strong movements they sweep the sweat of their bodies. Likewise small elements, such as the fact that the dancers can drink water out of their bottles on stage, refer to the realism and honesty of Freud’s works.

That the dancers are getting tired is understandable, since the endurance of the dancers is, just like in a lot of other dance performances nowadays, put on the test during the performance. At some points dance is presented as a boot camp where the dancers are getting exhausted and push themselves to the limits. The movements the dancers make are very tough and there is a lot of repetition. There is one moment in the piece were the three female dancers (only wearing underwear) are running on the same spot for a very long time while screaming, pulling their hair and touching and scratching their bodies. This relates to the endurance Freud's models needed, as it is known that Lucian Freud insisted his models to pose for 100 up to 150 hours, Also, the endurance that Lucian Freud required himself and his observing role are expressed in the piece. Throughout the entire piece there is a dancer on the side of the stage that observes the others, makes small and controlled movements on a chair, but is mainly there to be quiet.

In different ways Jens van Daele translated the world of artist Lucian Freud into an integral performance. There are many elements in the piece that (could) refer to Freud his work; obvious as well as more hidden ones and not only the ones above, but many more.The movements and the music collaborated well together and I enjoyed the rawness and the complete honesty of the piece. I liked that all five dancers have their own role that contributes to giving expression to Lucian Freud's ideas and thoughts. Therefore the dancers are fascinating to watch individually as well as collectively. Jens van Daele succeeded to bring Lucian Freud his world to life and visiting the intense dance concert 'About Lucian' is therefore worth the effort.

Trailer 'About Lucian'

Written by Rowy Tebeest