OFF VENUE

The churches that adorn Amsterdam's cityscape will be transformed into stages for adventurous dance makers Katja Heitmann, Guilherme Miotto, María Del Mar Suárez (La Chachi) and Ropes Aligned & Isabel Cordeiro. Inspired by the centuries-long spiritual and social role of churches, they seek answers to big life questions. What is the meaning of life? What does it mean to be human?

Choreographer Katja Heitmann works with a growing group of movement archivists to collect movements of people of all ages, places, bodies and backgrounds. With this constantly evolving archive, she creates artworks such as the performance installation MUSEUM, performed against the backdrop of the Vondelkerk.

In Mondo Perfetto, a musical performance by Corpo Máquina Society in and around the Jeruzalemkerk, choreographer Guilherme Miotto unravels all the possible intentions hidden deep inside the body. Together with dancer Julia Nielsen, he reduces human existence to a sequence of boundless vibrations, as a call for unity with ourselves and the world around us. Percussionist Pedro Paixão translates Bach's timeless church organ compositions to marimba, bridging tradition and innovation.

-|-The tall tower of the Posthoornkerk is the stage for the breathtaking rope dance Unfolding Multitudes, in which bodies float through the air like elementary particles. This unique spectacle is a joint creation of visual artist Isabel Cordeiro, vertical dance collective Ropes Aligned, and sound artist Gemma Luz Bosch. Visual art, aerial acrobatics and an impressive sound score come together to challenge gravity.

In the Bilderdijkpark, where church De Liefde (‘the Love’) stood that was demolished in 1912, two women sit eating sunflower seeds. They share a common space, a conversation, the intimacy of silence. The cante (singing) and baile (dancing) suddenly burst forth, transforming the mundane scene into a magic intimate spectacle. In this performance, TARANTO ALEATORIO, Spanish choreographer and dancer María del Mar Suárez (La Chachi) and singer Lola Dolores begin their personal take on the rawness of this palo (form) of flamenco.

OFF VENUE is a route along different locations with different performances. We advise you to travel the route by bicycle to get to the performances on time.

For more background on the artists, our sources of inspiration and the special locations, please visit offvenue.nl.