Insomnia/Tossing & Turning [dance video]

I love dancing on stage. I enjoy taking class, teaching, choreographing... but performing in front of an audience, that's the ultimate dance experience.

And I will stumble and fall

Every two years I get the chance to perform with the Kriskin dance studio. But not this year. After rupturing the cruciate ligament in my knee in dance class, I spent the performances last May in the audience. The brace and crutches kept me in my seat but I knew all the steps, felt the sorrow when they danced to ‘Say Something’ by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera.

When dreams disappear

There was a story to the show 'Als dromen verdwijnen' about a girl in charge of dreams, dispensing from her magic suitcase the proper dream to everyone: dreams about love, adventure, happiness, heroism… But her suitcase full of dreams is taken from her and the dreams disappear.

Insomnia/Tossing & Turning

What happens when you can no longer dream? You toss and turn because you can’t fall asleep. That's what my choreography was about. I started working on it in January and in February had to stop dancing because of the knee injury. Don't tell my physical therapist but I did find a way to finish the piece and teach it to the dancers.

Die Gedanken haben Nachtrundgang

Last october I saw Pina Bausch’ ‘Le sacre du printemps’. This breathtaking performance was an inspiration for ‘Insomnia/Tossing & Turning’, as well as the way supporting characters entered and left the stage in the play 'De verwondering’ by Hugo Claus and directed by Bart Meuleman. The music also guided me and determined in a way how the piece evolved. The Turnhout audience wasn't expecting anything like Einstürzende Neubauten or (String Quartet Tribute to) Sonic Youth, but that's what they got.

Kool Thing, Kool Thing

I didn't get to perform last May but I did enjoy watching my choreography from the audience. I was a bundle of nerves the full seven minutes of 'Insomnia/Tossing & Turning' but the dancers did not let me down. Actually... Next time I want to use attributes I should stay backstage and count the pillows before the music starts!

For the video we can always count on Dirk Van Royen from Studio Luminance to do a wonderful job. Enjoy:

Bekijk het filmpje op YouTube