The Dansmari’s are a phenomenon in Den Bosch. The gentlemen, all more than a hundred kilos of clean and dressed in a dance marre’s costume, are true icons in Oeteldonk. Your own film, a cookbook and a performance for the queen: this famous group did it all. During their reunion on Sunday afternoon, another achievement was added: the reversal of the Oeteldonk patriarchate. The message was clear: gone with the emblem jackets, long live the banana suit.
Just as the original K3 members came together for the first time in years last week for a reunion, the Bossche Dansmari’s also returned on Sunday afternoon after eleven years of absence.
Initiator Jesse van den Berg traveled for years as a lost dance marieke with carnival through the streets of Den Bosch. With a package imported from Limburg, he inspired a number of other men to assist him and to dance. Because what is a dance marite without a dance. That’s how the Dansmari’s were born.
“Old, gray, but still tight cards.”
In their heyday as dancing icons from Oeteldonk, they experienced a lot. They performed for the queen during Queen’s Day in 2007, stood on many square and stage in Den Bosch and even released a cookbook, a glossy and a film.
But even after a decade, the gentlemen of the Dansmari’s still prove to be just like dancing as then. “It was fantastic, really virtuoso,” says a woman in her Oeteldonk suit. Especially for the reunion, they presented their iconic dance again on Sunday. “In fact, I think this was our best performance,” laughs one of the maris with a somewhat hoarse voice. “Old, gray, but still tight cards.”
After the dance, a call from the Dansmari’s from the stage suddenly follows: “No panic, but you are summoned to leave the room,” Dansmari Hans shouts. Visitors have to go outside after the dance. “Turn around and walk outside.”
“We find those jackets with emblems militarized.”
Once outside the monkey comes out of the sleeve: “The real Oeteldonker has a banana suit from now on. We find those jackets with emblems in a minimized way,” says one of the Dansmari’s. Everyone is given a bright yellow banana suit. Only the people who wear a fruit suit are then allowed in “There is a small revolution, the real Oeteldonker now wears a banana suit.”
“All those people who come from the Randstad nowadays with a jacket with emblems, nothing hedged anymore,” says one of the Maris. “You no longer know who a Oeteldonker is, you used to be able to recognize them.”
That is why the Oeteldonk jackets are exchanged for brand new banana suits. The idea is simple: those who wear a banana suit is a Oeteldonker, whoever wears the keel is a doubt. “In the past, such a suit was bad, but now we are going to do it differently.”
For example, during their very last performance, the Maris still know how to turn the Bossche carnival completely upset, just like eleven years ago.
