Als het anders loopt (9+)
In 2023, Als het anders loopt (9+) won several prestigious Dutch prizes for youth performances: de Zilveren Krekel, de Jonge Zwaan and de Podiumkids Publieksprijs.
Als het anders loopt is about a waiting room where no one wants to be. Where the walls move, and people stagger yet remain upright. Actors and dancers with and without disabilities, together with live musicians, depict a world full of adversity and strength.
Festival Lieve Stad, 750
Run time 70 minutes
Genre Dance-family
Taal Language no problem
Als het anders loopt
Anyone can end up here, says my father. He fills out an endless stack of forms, and I have to stay quiet. It's been at least a hundred and ten hours already. There's a tall counter with two blue hands behind it. They tell us what to do, but I don't understand it.
People come and go. A girl, hooked up to an IV, dances so lightly, I think she can fly. The boy who was sitting next to me, has no arms and legs but he can do everything. You can also get lost here. In the hallways, there's a woman with such a large head that she almost falls over. And me, I'm just different. But that's okay, says my father. Because there is already so much that is the same.
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Elien van den Hoek directs the performance and serves as the artistic director of Het Houten Huis. Her work is characterized by a blend of visual poetry, detailed physical acting, live music, and an absurd world. Andreas Denk, artistic director of Plan d-, takes on one of the lead roles and contributes to the choreography. With his humorous, emotional performance style, he even makes objects dance. Dancer and choreographer Adam Peterson from Club Guy & Roni captivates the audience with his refined, emotional dance. In Als het anders loopt, they collaborate to explore a unique style that blends dance and theater.
Elien van den Hoek about Als het anders loopt
“We present the performance for everyone from the age of 9 and up. Although there are occasional tears flowing from the audience, it is not a heavy performance. We try to bring it in a light way and with humor. You can also derive comfort from the beauty of the dance, the live music and the alienating images. The performance sometimes makes you feel like you're in a dream. I want to acknowledge the heaviness but also show the strength of people, the affection. Since the performance contains little language but mostly images, the experience is very instant and suitable for different age groups. I hope the audience leaves the theater with wonder and a warm feeling. ”
REVIEWS
de Volkskrant
“Als het anders loopt showcases with a beautiful and liberating parade that everyone, truly everyone, can dance.”
Scènes
“Director Elien van den Hoek, along with all the other collaborators of this production, cannot be praised enough for striking a delicate balance in this grand production. Limitations? Certainly. Pathetic? Nothing of that!”
Theaterkrant
“The new production by Het Houten Huis, Club Guy & Roni, and Plan d- paints a world where the celebration of exceptionality reigns.”
Parool
“A beautiful masterpiece crafted with love.”
Friesch Dagblad
“Elien van der Hoek has once again crafted a performance that is gentle, endearing, and charming. But also, just a lot of fun.”
Credits
direction and script Elien van den Hoek
actors and dancers Sam Corver, Andreas Denk, Marloes Dingshoff, Meghan Dobbelsteijn Bisschops, David Feenstra, Agri Issa, Johannes de Jong, Laura Moura Costa and Thomas Schellens
music and composition Radek Fedyk
vocals and acting Sanam Tahmasebi
choreography Adam Peterson, Andreas Denk and Elien van den Hoek
assistent director Anne van Dorp and Zoscha van Erkel
lightning Paul Reitsma
sound Tomas van Schelven
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robot control Loeki Wiefferink
backstage Wytze Veenstra and Esther de Vries
design Douwe Hibma and Marlies Schot
set construction Douwe Hibma
props and set finishing Marlies Schot
carpenter and technical support Roy Vermeer
costumes and masks Freja Roelofs together with André Kok
lightning design Desirée van Gelderen
dramaturgy Loes van der Pligt and David van Griethuysen
advice Marleen Jongens, Inez de Bruijn, Maarten Smit and Het Houten Huis team
About Lieve Stad, 750
This performance is part of Lieve Stad, 750, a joint theater festival of Internationaal Theater Amsterdam and Meervaart. In honor of 750 years of Amsterdam, we are celebrating an extra-large edition in May with more than 50 performances in 13 theaters throughout the city. The festival brings everything together: the artists, the stages, the stories and the audience. We honor the city's rich traditions, but also give space to new voices and perspectives. Together we make Amsterdam - and we celebrate it.
Celebrate the art. Celebrate the city. Celebrate it together.
