Crawl-through-sneak-through in a forest of threads and weights

“Doink,” says dancer Alex Blondeau, pulling a tube -shaped weight that is connected to a wire to a large grid above the studio floor. Dozens of wires with weights form a forest through which the dancers dance. If a dancer pulls a weight up or down, one or more weights will go elsewhere in the opposite direction.

The beautiful construction is more than a stunning decor. It is a kinetic installation and an impressive musical instrument – the colossus also produces sound. In the grid on the ceiling, meter -long piano pies are stretched over which pulleys slide back and forth as soon as a dancer pulls on one of the weights. From above, a sound sounds that is reminiscent of a cellist who plays his instrument, perfectly synchronously with the movement of the installation.

Within this ingenious construction, the three dancers, crawl-through-sneak-through, must find their way with every change. It is a constant, exciting interaction: the dancer ‘plays’ the installation and influences the form and volume of the space. Conversely, space and sound have consequences for the dancers.

Spinfish

That ‘Doink’, says choreographer Amos Ben-Tal (45) after the rehearsal of his new performance The Bone Algorithmis a provisional solution for a still missing part of the installation. In his work he often uses architectural and kinetic decors. In Interval (2021) He had dancers move in a kinetic installation of long, moving bars on standards. They carefully sought their way in that dynamic space, a design by Gosse de Kort, which for the design for The Bone Algorithm Close collaborated with composer Salvador wide.

Seconds (2019) took place in four cube -shaped tents in which the viewer stayed with a dancer one on one, which caused an intense experience of time, also because the experience could be ended by another visitor at any time. Had a very different interdisciplinary form Howl (2017), in which singer-songwriter spinnis not only sang, but also as a talk show host the dancers interviewed about the relationship with their bodies and profession. The experiment runs like a common thread through the performances that Ben has been making with off-projects for more than ten years in theaters, museums, galleries, public spaces and online.

Until 2006, the Israelier Ben was a dancer at the Nederlands Dans Theater. There he also made his first choreographies twenty years ago. With Offprojects he is now the first artist/company in Residence ever with his old employer.

“The circle is round. At some point I realized that it was necessary for my development to leave NDT. I had to get away from that style, also longed for a different creation process and I wanted to make more music. At the Dance Production House Korzo I was able to develop my own identity and step away from being dancer. I am now artistically further away than ever from NDT. My transformation is almost round. That makes it all the more interesting to be back and also teaches. “

Wreck

Now he rehearses in one of the beautiful new studios in Amare in The Hague. Everyone is super concentrated. The composer attends his computer screen, the designer follows the transformations of the installation. I occasionally give instructions to the dancers in a calm tone: “Do not make a sound but a specific sound.” “Try to coordinate with the rest, so that it becomes almost harmonious.” “Make sure that the same person does not always use a change.”

In between, the dancers consult intensively, it is clear that dancers Alex Blondeau, Xanthe van Opstal and Luca Cacitti get a lot of room for improvisation. They are explicitly jointly responsible for the development of choreography. In a short break, Blondeau tickles notes in a notebook to remember the choreographic path she follows. “In the rehearsal process I also have to slow myself down what every weight does.” No small task; There are dozens.

During this rehearsal, the last part of the performance is discussed. In the beginning, Ben-Val says, the choreography is tighter and without improvisation. Then a computer code controls the installation and, in line with it, the dancers. Gradually they master that system and take control of the dancers.

The idea for The Bone Algorithm is the fruit of a close collaboration of Ben-av with composer and designer De Kort. He previously presented projects with both. “During our conversations we talk about everything, art, social issues and so on. This time we came up with the theme of technology. A bit of a hip topic. Nowadays you often see it in performances. We not only wanted to use the technology but also zoom out: what does technology actually do, what does artificial intelligence mean? Due to the high degree of complexity, it seems to be withdrawing from our control. While technology is essentially based on human logic. The question we ask is: how do you come back ‘back to the bone’, from the algorithm to concrete matter: the body, the steel, the analogue sound? Do we still have that capacity? Or are our thinking processes so influenced by technology that we have lost that way of thinking? The performance therefore develops from a digital approach back to an organic one. “

Smash

“We start from the Tadada or from the pompom? ”, Van Opstal asks, if part of the choreography has to be tried again. Slowly the three dancers are starting to move again. A quick jerk on one of the garlands lets the forest wave like a field waving reed – an enchanting visual effect. At the request of Ben -Tal, a deformed human voice adds to the sound field.

Then the rehearsal is over. “Okay, I am happy to introduce you,” Ben -To compliments the dancers. “Now deepen the intensity and tension of the movements.”

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