Tender Men
Tender Men captivates and confuses, harasses and triggers somewhere on the border between bro, bromance, and romance.
Julidans EXTENDED
location Meervaart
start 20.30 hrs (sat 10-07), 16.00 hrs (sun 11-07)
duration 60 minutes
Vulnerability, roughness, and tenderness
"Can men walk the streets hand in hand without danger? And can you still be soft without sacrificing so-called manliness? Koen De Preter shows that it is possible. He does this together with his dancers Souleymane Sanogo, Po-Nien Wang, Benoît Nieto Duran, and Johhan Rosenberg. They are African, Asian, and European. Gay and straight. They come from contemporary dance, urban dance, neo-classical, combat dance. They treat each other delicately and tenderly, with empathy and tolerance. In trashy and cliché moments of spectacle, but also in abstract moments, always playful and mischievous. "The tender and delicate dancers charm," Theaterkrant wrote at the premiere in October 2020.
-|-Tender Men sheds light on our society, in which we are increasingly afraid to touch each other, and asks how men would interact in a world without homophobia. Tender Men is about the fearlessness, beauty and poetry of touch, but also about the chaos and misunderstandings that are inextricably linked to it. Four men - each with their own dance background and identity - symbolise vulnerability, roughness, and tenderness.
Koen de Preter
As a dancer, the Fleming Koen De Preter stood on the big stages in performances by, for example, Sasha Waltz and Raimund Hoghe. Since his debut as a choreographer in 2007, he has attracted considerable international attention. De Preter experiments with forms and moves between different dance scenes. Together with eclectic soundtracks, the search for a balance between the abstract and the theatrical is a common thread in his creations. De Preter gained international recognition with We dance to forget (2007), a production that toured in eleven countries for seven years. The performance was part of Julidans NEXT in 2007, on the recommendation of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. After more intimate works such as his solo DANCING (international premiere at Julidans), it is now time for a bigger show with an international cast.
Credits
choreography and concept Koen De Preter
dance and choreography Benoît Nieto Duran, Johhan Rosenberg, Po-Nien Wang, Souleymane Sanogo
dramaturgic advice Nienke Reehorst
lighting design Fudetani Ryoya
costumes Atelier Marie Dries
technique Eva Dermul
sound editing Koen De Preter
photography Stanislav Dobak
business production management Lenneke Rasschaert
distribution Vincent Company
coproduction C-TAKT, DansBrabant, Perpodium
residencies KVS Brussels, Cultuurcentrum ccBe Berchem, de Warande Turnhout, Dommelhof Neerpelt, De Nieuwe Vorst Tilburg, De Grote Post Ostend, Kunstencentrum STUK Leuven
with support of the Flemish Government, city of Antwerp, the Taxshelter of the Belgian Federal Government and Cronos Invest
You do not need a Corona toegangsbewijs for this performance
For activities and performances for small groups without a Coronatoegangsbewijs, the 1.5-metre distance must be respected. You do not need a Coronatoegangsbewijs for performances at Theater Bellevue, Melkweg Upstairs, Podium Mozaïek, Bijlmer Parktheater, Meervaart and Vondelpark Openlucht Theater.
