Theater Aan Zee celebrates its anniversary edition
Dozens of modest and less modest venues, from the beach to the Grote Post, serve for eleven days for not only theater, but also dance, music, literature and more. Theater Aan Zee has built up a strong reputation abroad and is the perfect place for young talent to show themselves.
Opening on water
As in previous years, the Leopold Park in the center of Ostend is once again the center of all activities. There is Café Koer around the pond. On the terrace, residents of Ostend, theater enthusiasts and well-known actors and actresses find their rhythm again during the cultural heyday for the seaside resort. They can drink cocktails, order healthy dishes or eat a greasy hamburger.
On the water at the meeting place, an opening show set the anniversary edition of the festival in motion. It started impressively with the floating Stadskoor that made the introductory chants of Stromaes L’enfer resonate with the audience. After the pole hut or the festival house disappeared into the smoke, a second raft also set out with Louise Van den Eede on it. She had the honor of being the first of the daily conductors to address the visitors. Under the approving eye of comedian and poetry lover Wim Helsen, she brought a text about her inner sea storm with a teased microphone. Finally, indie band VITO added some spice to the kick-off of the culture marathon.
Mesmerizing dance party
The eclectic performance ‘Into The Open’ by the musical dance company Voetvolk was a tip from the connoisseurs on Wednesday evening. The organization gave the group the new Spoor 2 location, a well-stocked shed next to the railway. Intriguingly, the dancers started with a few physical outbursts, but what followed became more and more intense and more conjuring. Ultimately, the bravado resulted in a liberated audience that was even allowed to go wild on stage. “People jumped up and down and danced more exuberantly than they might at Rock Werchter”, says fan Hanne afterwards. “It was a big party.”