Elisabeth gets her way
The new solo by and from Jan Martens is a danced portrait of the Polish Elisabeth Chojnacka (1939 - 2017), an exceptionally talented and passionate musician who was partly responsible for the revival of harpsichord music in the mid-20th century.
Festival Nederlands Theater Festival
Run time 70 minutes
Genre Dance
This performance features nudity on stage and stroboscopic effects.
ELISABETH GETS HER WAY
ELISABETH GETS HER WAY wants to pay tribute to this extraordinary woman. The solo is a danced portrait with a soundtrack that covers a wide range, from Nyman to Montague to Ligeti, all performed by Chojnacka. The ambition is to stay close to the sometimes complex scores while dancing. Martens plays his body as Chojnacka did with the harpsichord.
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Different styles of movement are brought together, just as she, with several centuries of music history at her fingertips, effortlessly slaloms between registers and genres. In 2021, it was exactly 50 years ago that Chojnacka released her first album: Clavecin 2000. An ideal moment to pay tribute to this remarkable woman, with a solo in which she is given the time and space she deserves.
Reviews
Theaterkrant (choice of the critic)
'Nowhere does Martens become ironic or excuse the power, or the frenzied strength, of the work of Chojnacka and composers such as Ligeti, Xenakis, Ferrari, Berio, Krauze or Montague, who often wrote specially for her work. Heavy metal is nothing like it.'
Volkskrant
'Jan Martens puts his finger on the innovative meaning of Elisabeth Chojnacka (1939-2017) in such an ingenious and precise way that you are left in awe.'
Cultureel Persbureau
'... an overwhelming introduction to a brilliant musician.'
De Standaard
'With her flamboyant style, she converted the general public to harpsichord music, which is no easy genre. In his intense homage to Chojnacka, Jan Martens does exactly the same. [...]'
Credits
choreography and dance Jan Martens
sound engineer documentary Yanna Soentjens
light design Elke Verachtert
costume design Cédric Charlier
video and music © Archives INA
music pieces www.grip.house
video montage Sabine Groenewegen
outside eye Marc Vanrunxt, Anne-Lise Brevers en Rudi Meulemans
technical lead Michel Spang/Elke Verachtert
production GRIP
international distribution A Propic - Line Rousseau en Marion Gauvent
co-production DE SINGEL (Antwerpen, BE), Les Hivernales – CDCN d’Avignon (FR), Julidans (Amsterdam, NL), C-TAKT (Limburg, BE) en Perpodium (BE)
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residences DE SINGEL (Antwerpen, BE), Les Hivernales – CDCN d’Avignon (FR), Toneelhuis (Antwerpen, BE), ccBe (Antwerpen, BE), C-TAKT (Limburg, BE) en CN D – Centre national de la danse (Parijs, FR)
with financial support by de Vlaamse Overheid, de Taxshelter van de Belgische Federale Overheid en Cronos Invest
with thanks to INA - l'Institut National de l' Audiovisuel, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo sous la Présidence de S.A.R. la Princesse de Hanovre -Direction: Jean-Christophe Maillot, Graciane Finzi, Régis Mitonneau, Anne Montaron, Emmanuelle Tat, François-Bernard Mâche, Zygmunt Krauze, Stephen Montague, Raphaël de Gubernatis, Claire Verlet, Ty Boomershine, Joris van Oosterwijk, Liselotte Sels en Kinga Jaczewska
About The NTF
The Netherlands Theatre Festival bursts into life again this autumn! After modest years, we open the doors wide with the best performances of the past theatre season. Discover a range of stories on stage, across generations and theatre genres, from the many corners of the Netherlands and Flanders. In addition to the ever-puzzling selections by the Netherlands Theatre Jury, The Flanders Theatre Festival and the BNG Bank Theatre Prize Jury, this year the nominees for the VSCD Mime Prize will also take the stage.