Tempest
Tempest is a captivating solo performance, in which Lisbeth Gruwez moves as if the storm is coming from within.
In Tempest — the storm — Lisbeth Gruwez is alone on stage, yet she fills the entire space. Her body is taut, as if every movement might overshoot and be pulled back at the same time. As an arm is flung out, a twist cuts through the air and stops just in time.
Festival Julidans
Programmaonderdeel Julidans On Stage
Nederlandse première
Locatie De Brakke Grond
Zaal Grote zaal
Duur 60 minuten
Genre Dans
Taal Language no problem
Tempest
What begins as a sense of restlessness gradually turns into something more precise — calligraphy in the air, as graceful as it is razor-sharp. Here, anger does not appear as an outburst, as in a storm, but as a force that continues to hover and circle. Gruwez holds onto that energy, directs it, does not allow it to run wild.
This movement language is rooted in martial arts, with a clear affinity to Tai Chi, where raw energy is transformed into focused power and inner concentration. For Tempest, Gruwez immersed herself in these techniques in Thailand; the soundtrack, too, bears traces of the rhythms of Thai boxing matches.
-|-The scene on stage is bare: a white slope that leads into an empty performance area. On it, Gruwez moves, at times agonisingly slowly, gliding, as if she were stretching time itself. The audience is invited to slow down, to land in the space alongside her.
Occasionally, the storm seems to subside. In these moments, the intensity becomes palpable. The solo falls silent, lulling the audience into a light trance and leaving them gasping for breath. What remains is a body that stands firm — clear, focused, in the eye of the storm.
Voetvolk
Voetvolk is the company of Lisbeth Gruwez and Maarten Van Cauwenberghe, which has been building a strong international reputation for years and performs at leading festivals at home and abroad. The company is affiliated with the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg (KVS) and the nona arts centre.
Credits
Concept Voetvolk
Choreography & performance Lisbeth Gruwez
Music Maarten Van Cauwenberghe
Lighting design Jan Maertens
Scenography concept ruimtevaarders
Scenography execution decoratelier KVS
Costume execution Eli Verkeyn
Martial arts mentor Rob Gemmeke
Artistic chaperone Christine Herman
-|-With thanks to Francesca Chiodi Latini & Koen Tachelet
Production Voetvolk vzw
Coproduction December Dance (Concertgebouw Brugge & Cultuurcentrum Brugge) (BE), MA scène nationale – Pays de Montbéliard (FR), Perpodium, POLE-SUD CDCN (Strasbourg/FR), Theater im Pumpenhaus (Münster/DE)
Residencies kunstencentrum BUDA (BE), CENTQUATRE-PARIS (FR), Chang Theatre (Bangkok/TH), kunstencentrum nona (BE), POLE-SUD (Strasbourg/FR), Theater im Pumpenhaus (Münster/DE), Voetvolk Atelier Rubigny (FR), WestK Performing Arts (Hong Kong/HK)
International distribution Materialise – Stéphane Noël
With the support of Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government and the Flemish Government
