We’d like to thank everyone that joined us for ‘Just Once’ in Korzo Theater on Friday April 13th. For those of you who could not make it, here are some words and images in order to get an impression. It was a very special event for us: literally a once in a life time moment. A confronting and exciting experience and a joy to share new dance, texts and music with all of you. We revisited the piece Ziggurat (originally from 2007), showed a sneak preview of our new project ’60′ and played brand new songs of Noblesse. Sharing this work with you inspired us to continue working and we are looking forward to getting back to creating. Keep an eye out for us! For now, thank you all for your support, attention and inspiration!

Podium Dans is NPO Cultura’s weekly dance-program. The program features different choreographers and artistic directors of prominent dance-companies from the Netherlands.  In the week of November 6th, Podium Dans was fully dedicated to Amos’ work and to OFFprojects. Several weeks ago the camera crew visited a rehearsal of Howl prior to the performance in Theatre Ins Blau in Leiden. They did an interview in order to shed light on our various productions, inspirations and the unique working method we utilize as a collective. You can watch the episode here.

For the newspaper De Gelderlander, Bianca Hendriks interviewed Amos about our performance HOWL. Read the full interview here. (Dutch only)

On August 29 to 31st, we performed Howl at the Zeeland Nazomerfestival in Middelburg. We were invited to present the piece in the building of Waterschap Scheldestromen. The huge windows gave us a beautiful back drop that offered us and the audience a direct view over the canal and the  city. We thank everyone for three amazing sharings. And thank those who left us with their great feedback after the performance and online.

“I am still speechless after seeing HOWL at Zeeland Nazomerfestival. We were seated on stage. And that was awesome. We did not only see the performers from closeby but we even felt the air moving when they passed by. And then the beautiful music by Spinvis… I will not give away the rest. Go see for yourself when you have the chance!” – audience member about Howl at Zeeland Nazomerfestival

In October-December we continue our Dutch theatre-tour. Make sure you order your tickets in time. Check out the tourdates in the agenda.

Amos is one of the seven choreographers that were invited by Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten to join their project: 7even. Amos will therefor travel to France to work together with dancers from the Ballet National de Marseille and ICK. They will create a new piece highlighting the state of the body.

7even
7even comprises 7 new works, each lasting 7 minutes, composed by 7 artists and featuring 7 dancers from the Ballet National de Marseille and ICK, based on Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten’s artistic manifesto The 7 Necessities, in collaboration with the Festival de Marseille.

An intense new work centred on the body and an innovative project showcasing a new generation of choreographers who have emerged from the international contemporary scene. Coming from a variety of cultures and disciplines, Amos Ben-Tal, Ayelen Parolin, Ula Sickle, Nacera Belaza, Faustin Linyekula, Eric Minh Cuong Castaing and Joeri Dubbe will offer their version of this manifesto centred on the body in their own language in order express their particular “necessities”.

Tourdates
Fr 23 June 2017 Marseille (FR) | 20.30u
Festival de Marseille (world première)

Sat 24 June 2017 Marseille (FR) | 20.30u
Festival de Marseille

Sun 25 June 2017 Marseille (FR) | 20.30u
Festival de Marseille

Wed 5 July 2017 Amsterdam (NL) | 21.00u
Julidans Amsterdam, Stadsschouwburg

Thur 6 July 2017 Amsterdam (NL) | 21.00u
Julidans Amsterdam, Stadsschouwburg

Wed 20 Sep 2017 Rotterdam (NL)
Rotterdamse Schouwburg

Sat 23 Sep 2017 Amsterdam (NL)
Theater De Meervaart (tijdens festival ICKfest)

Thur 28 Sep 2017 Heerlen (NL) |20.30u
Parkstad Limburg Theaters

Fr 29 Sep 2017 Breda (NL)
Chassé Theater

Wed 11 Oct Utrecht (NL) | 20.00u
Stadsschouwburg

Fr 13 Oct Hoofddorp (NL) | 20.15u
Theater De Meerse

Wed 18 Oct Delft (NL) | 20.15u
Theater De Veste

Fr 20 Oct Leeuwarden (NL)
Stadsschouwburg de Harmonie

Wed 1 Nov 2017 Tilburg (NL) | 20.15u
Theaters Tilburg

Sat 4 Nov Groningen (NL)
Theater de Oosterpoort

Tues 14 Nov 2017 Haarlem (NL)
Toneelschuur Haarlem

Tickets & info

Last Saturday April 8th, we performed Howl at the music- and arts festival Motel Mozaique 2017 in Rotterdam. In a special setting in the foyer of the Rotterdamse Schouwburg, with an unexpected, massive crowd all around us, we shared stories, music, dance, thoughts and laughter. We had a great time! Thanks to everyone who was there! See you around for the theatretour.

Picture: Arie Kievit

Here are some quotes we found about the event:

“Motel Mozaïque distinguished itself by its multidisciplinary nature. On your way to a rockconcert you could dwell with Spinvis who held an improvised “talkshow” in the foyer of the Rotterdamse Schouwburg. in which dancers translated words and songs into dance.”  Jan Vollaard, NRC, 2017 Read the full article here (Dutch only)

“Besides concerts, the program existed of theater, dance and performance art, framed by art installations at various locations in the city. This way it was possible that you, while on your way, rushing for a concert in the Arminiuskerk, were suprised and mesmerized by the impressive dancers of choreographer Amos Ben-Tal, who, together with Spinvis, performed Howl in the foyer of the Rotterdamse Schouwburg.” Joris Belgers, TROUW, 2017 Read the full article here (Dutch only)

Photo: Rob HogeslagWe look back at three uplifting performances including the special première of Howl. We were very touched by how the audience went with us on this journey through memory and identity, and we hope that somewhere along that journey they also found a bit of their selves. Without the audience’ empathy and imagination, Howl would not be what it is.

Special thanks to our special guests of the shows: Jetta Klijnsma, Leo Spreksel and Patrick Nederkoorn.

The press about Howl:

“More then the choreographies, the piece is about the question how movement purposes are experiences by the spectator. A succesful project that strikingly illustrates the theme of the 18th edition of CaDance: ‘The Art of Seeing’.”  **** Annette Embrechts, 2017, Volkskrant

“Do not expect a performance that is completed or finnished. Do expect something that is well thought through and briljant.” Ruben Brugman, 2017, Cultureelpersbureau.nl

“Spinvis’ questions to the dancers come from a genuine quriosity and show how personal relationships are of meaning and effect their development. […] This way Howl gradually becomes a journey through the body showing its possibilities for the reproduction of fun, fantasy and philosophy.” Marcelle Schots, 2017, Theaterkrant.nl

Photo’s: Rob Hogeslag

Tijdens de première van HOWL, op 27 januari tijdens het Cadance Festival in Den Haag, schoof Staatssecretaris Jetta Klijnsma aan bij de talkshow. Bekijk hier een fragment uit het interview.

 [:en]For each edition of HOWL OFFprojects invites a special (local) guest. During the weekend of the première the group welcomed: Jetta Klijnsma, State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment (27 Jan), Leo Spreksel, Artistic director Korzo (28 Jan) and Patrick Nederkoorn, Comedian / Theologian (29 Jan).

During the première of HOWL, on January 27th during Cadance in Den Haag, state secretary Jetta Klijnsma was invited as special guest, to join the talkshow. Watch a fragment of her interview here.

 [:]

On Friday January 27th, 2017, the new OFFprojects production HOWL  will have its première during CaDance Festival for modern dance in The Hague.

HOWL is a fascinating collaboration between choreographer Amos Ben-Tal, OFFprojects and award winning pop-musician and poet Spinvis. Through interviews, special guests and above all movement, music and poetry we the audience embark on a journey to discover the many facets that form our identities and investigate the different realities that we create for ourselves.

With the special preview of the piece, during Festival the Dutch Dance Days, the collective won the Diorapthe Prize 2016. About the preview Dans Magazine wrote:

Howl is a lively and poetic multidisciplinary danceperformance in which the audience is taken on a journey through a world of memory, imagination and beliefs. In this research into the meaning of identity, science, games and originality melt together. Howl opens a door to what might be a broader perspective on humankind. Brilliant.

HOWL
Fr 27 Jan 2017 (première) – 19:00h
Sat 28 Jan 2017 – 21:00h
Sun 29 Jan 2017 – 16:00h
Location: Theater a/h Spui
Order your tickets here.

CaDance Festival
CaDance Festival is the biannual festival for modern dance in The Hague produced by Korzo. CaDance is the premiere festival filled with sparkling new dance by up-and-coming talents and leading choreographers in the Netherlands. The upcoming CaDance Festival takes place from January 27th to February 12th, 2017.

With the new production HOWL, Amos Ben-Tal / OFFprojects won the Dioraphte Prize 2016 at the Dutch Dance Festival in Maastricht.

The amount of € 10.000,- is made available by the Dioraphte Foundations with the purpose to promote the selected work abroad. This year’s jury consisted of Eddie Nixon (The Place, UK), Pierre Thys (Theatre de Liège, BE) and Christian Watty (International tanzmesse nrw, DE). The jury about HOWL:

“It is not only the multidisciplinary form of HOWL that makes the production suitable for an international tour. Probably a more important element of the piece is the way Amos Ben-Tal enters into a dialogue with the audience, a necessary concept within nowadays society. By searching for the diversity, the complex and at the same time universal and common ground of us human, Amos invites into a conversation. Supported by the exceptional skills of the performers, he makes us become aware of our own humanity.”

During the Dutch Dance Festival in Maastricht, Amos Ben-Tal / OFFprojects and Spinvis gave a preview of HOWL in the Centre Ceramique. HOWL will have its première on January 27^th, 2017 during CaDance Festival in Den Haag.

Meer info over HOWL.