DANCER #3
Agenda
Krems
Atelier A Two Dogs Company/Kris Verdonck
Brussels
Rotterdam
Turnhout
Festival VIA
Mons
Rencontres Professionnelles VIA
Mons
Ghent
Brussels
- Info
- Press
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We see a robot trying to stand up straight; he always falls down again, but never gives up. He endures this process of trial and error cheerfully and indefatigably. The machine gets to know its own potential. The energy of this automaton is infectious. His clumsiness and constant failure display the optimism of a clown who’s always tripping over.
DANCER #3 is part of ACTOR #1 and IN VOID. The artist and theatre-maker Kris Verdonck quite often combines his fascination with machines with images and concepts that owe a lot to science fiction. This certainly applies to the three-part ACTOR #1 that deals with evolving: about what has come into being, what is, and what may come into being. Three variations on the metamorphosis from chaos to order.
Jasmijn Krol -
« Verdonck shows us how a machine can move us and how soon we attribute human qualities to it. … On the question of creation, this three-part performance offers us a robust concept. In fact, in ACTOR #1, Verdonck brings a debate to the stage, one that goes beyond our creation: is theatre possible without people? Verdonck visually substantiates the gravity attached to this concept. »
Sarah Vankersschaever in De Standaard, 19/01/2010« In his piece ACTOR #1 (****), Kris Verdonck shows up the limits of man and machine. … In a certain sense ACTOR #1 depicts this quest for a new sort of life: from the swirling gases in MASS to the half-animate puppet in HUMINID or the robot in DANCER#3. After this last piece you know it for sure: we shall never have access to the ‘mental world’ of these machines or of natural processes. We can only stand and watch. »
Pieter T’Jonck in De Morgen, 21/01/2010
Credits
Concept & direction: Kris Verdonck
Dramaturgy: Marianne Van Kerkhoven (Kaaitheater)
Construction: Sylvain Spinoit, Atelier 26, Steven Blum
Software & Electronics: Felix Luque
Sound design: Thomas Turine
Light design: Luc Schaltin (Kaaitheater), Kris Verdonck
Production manager: Hendrik De Smedt
Production: Margarita Production for stilllab vzw
Technical coordination: Colin Legras
Coproducers: Kaaitheater (BE), Kunstencentrum Vooruit (BE), Buda Kunstencentrum (BE), Le manège.mons/CECN (BE), Transdigital/TechnocITé (BE)
Project initiated by: la chartreuse (FR) in the frame of its research on robots and theatre
Scientific research: Jean-Jacques Cassiman, Dirk De Ridder, Philippe Fraisse, Jean Paul Van Bendegem, Dirk Van Hulle
With the support of:t he Flemish Authorities
Thanks to: Atelier 26, Acapella digital voice, Arne Vanneste, LIRMM (FR), Luc Steels