Versa-vice
Kaleidoscopic statement of life
Tânia Carvalho draws on a wonderfully flamboyant range of styles from the history of dance, film and art to evoke an alienating but always deeply emotional universe. In Versa-vice, the choreographer sees hope for the future, by looking the monster of polarisation in the mouth.
Julidans
Main programme
Run time 60 minutes
Location Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
Venue Grote Zaal
After talk with Tânia Carvalho 3 July
Tânia Carvalho's penchant for experimenting with styles and techniques comes to a tentative climax in Versa-vice, according to the choreographer herself, a celebration of emotions in turbulent times. Carvalho's mix of commedia dell'arte, romanticism, expressionism, silent film, mime and contemporary dance leads to a dream state that takes you into enigmatic, mystical territory.
We see dancers with painted faces work towards their catharsis: at first wandering lonely, later seeking support and comfort from each other. Finally, uplifting energy brings about relief, a tilt – something that may lead to a hopeful future with and for each other? -|-Versa-vice is about death and life, fantasy and reality, waking and sleeping, the mystical and the poetic. In a theatrical worship service full of poignant, often chilling tableaux, the choreographer evokes polarisations and contradictions that are in fact each other's mirror image. With the invitation to look into the full depth of the mirror. Carvalho: "We are all little pieces of the same puzzle. We are meant to be different from each other so that we can hold each other."
CREDITS
choreography & artistic direction Tânia Carvalho
interpretation Andriucha, Beatriz Marques Dias, Bruno Senune, Catarina Carvalho, Cláudio Vieira, Filipe Baracho, Luís Guerra, Matthieu Ehrlacher, Nina Botkay
voice Tânia Carvalho
poem Fernando Pessoa
light design & technical direction Anatol Waschke
sound production & sound design Juan Mesquita
music Tânia Carvalho
costumes design Cláudio Vieira e Tânia Carvalho
master seamstress Rosário Balbi
executive direction Vítor Alves Brotas
administration & finance Janine Lages
communication & press advisory Maria João Bilro
photo Rui Palma
video Christo Roussev
booking Colette de Turville
logistics Leonardo Garibaldi
production Agência 25 -|-
co-production Fundação Caixa Geral de Depósitos - Culturgest (Portugal), Estúdio 25 (Portugal), Julidans
Amsterdam (Netherlands), La Briqueterie - CDCN du Val-de-Marne / Biennale de Danse du Val-de-Marne
(France), Le Gymnase CDCN Roubaix – Hauts-de-France dans le cadre du dispositif Accueil-Studio (France),
Teatro Municipal do Porto – Rivoli e Campo Alegre / DDD – Festival Dias da Dança (Portugal), Théâtre Jacques
Carat Cachan (France), Theatro Circo (Portugal), Teatro Viriato (Portugal).
partnerships Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente / Convento de São Francisco / Abril Dança em Coimbra (Portugal)
co-production residencies Culturgest (Portugal), Le Gymnase CDCN Roubaix – Hauts-de-France dans le cadre du dispositif Accueil-Studio (France), O Espaço do Tempo (Portugal).
support República Portuguesa – Cultura | DGARTES 2021-22 (via Estúdio 25), Câmara Municipal de Lisboa - Polo Cultural Gaivotas | Boavista, Casa-Atelier - Fundação Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva, Forum Dança, Loja das Maquetas.
acknowledgements Chá de Agulhas - Susana Oliveira, Maria Manuela da Silva Alves.