Isabelle Beernaert's talent has matured and crystallized over the years. Like everyone, she has been refined and polished by life. As an artist, she has reached a turning point where she not only wants to please the audience, but also connect them with her own world of thought in a fusion of spiritual and physical energy, something substantial that touches the essence of our being.
In Particles of God there are no song lyrics that are once again converted into body language, but abstract music that vibrates to life and carries her dancers in a concentration of force to higher realms. As a dancer and choreographer, Isabelle Beernaert is firmly rooted in Mother Earth, her arms like solid branches spread invitingly toward the sky. She experiences meditation as a prelude to a realm that transcends and goes beyond pure human will and control. She communicates about this: "I make my productions to touch people on different levels of consciousness. Dance is a silent language that tells so much and moves at the same time."
The gaze directed inward
The tangible and visible world is part of a larger and more encompassing world that also includes the unspeakable. Humankind constantly disrupts the cosmic balance. Nature remains the supreme authority and is prominently present in the performance. Her latest choreography Particles of God is both existential and poetic. We all consist of the same fabric as the world around us. For her, from a moral high ground, it is a hypnotic journey between dust and eternity. As a counterpoint to suffering, we have beauty; Beernaert's means of expression is DANCE. This performance testifies to an iron-strong stylistic awareness of the visual and expressive possibilities of the body.
Music selection
She chose predominantly minimalist music, often with an ethereal sound. Music of overwhelming intensity. Isabelle Beernaert places the spiritual against the physical life. A world in which the outward-directed and the inward-directed are constantly opposed to each other. In the performance predominantly live music by Belgian composer and violinist Peter Bogaert, which runs like a red thread through the performance. His music is characterized by a quest, a rhythmic postminimalism that nonetheless does not shy away from complexity. Further works by Philip Glass, Max Richter, J. S. Bach, Johann Johannson, Pergolesi, Peteris Vasks performed by Norwegian top violinist Mari Samuelson. In the performance, Peter Bogaert frequently engages in dialogue with this. This results in a beautiful, impressive soundscape.
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A meditative bath
Upon entering the hall, the audience sees text projected on the front curtain that somewhat prepares them for what will be shown. A profound philosophical text. Its essence is: "All of the external forms are lovely, but the real work is your inner connection".
In a next phase, the audience is invited to close their eyes for a meditative moment; humming voices with a crystal-clear soprano ringing out above them help with this. Phase three: in filtered light, a figure in a black kimono is positioned centrally on the stage. Violinist Peter Bogaert gently draws his instrument, melodious atmospheric music that is suddenly pierced by harsh dissonances. An accident or illness also falls suddenly and unexpectedly from the sky. The earth does not stop, it keeps turning. The music continues again very harmoniously. Twelve dancers, an international top cast, walk stately onto the stage. Their outfit, many paper-thin layers of fabric on top of each other, in a color palette of beige and brown tones, appears Oriental. A beautiful piece of craftsmanship by Spanish designer Rosa Esteva. The dancers open their arms, bow humbly, straighten up again, stretch their arms reaching toward the heavens. Beernaert engages all natural elements: wind, storm, lightning, rain, the surge of ebb and flow. Like leaves in the wind, the dancers spin across the stage. Beautiful atmospheric lighting and cloud formations drifting by complete the picture. The dancers are carried along by the wind or struggle against it. The billowing light fabrics of the costumes lend the whole extra dynamism.
Beernaert builds her scenography around a number of core ideas: Meditation, Guiding, Like a Phoenix, Beliefs, And Sorrow, Radiant, In Broken Ashes. In Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, a figure stands in the crowd and is not seen. You are moved by the unfathomable beauty of the composition. An example of spiritual connection, an intangible phenomenon. The contrast is all the more striking. Individuals stand before each other, but do not see each other, look through each other. Indifference reigns. People no longer connect with each other or with nature. She allows natural elements to play a strong role. The bodies of the dancers move to the liberating organic force that connects them to the universe from which they have sprung. Attempting to penetrate the interior, in order to switch a lever there towards connecting moments.
© Kim Vos / Clothing: Cortana
© Kim Vos / Clothing: Cortana
© Kim Vos / Clothing: Cortana
All-rounder
Beernaert demonstrates her versatility in the different dance styles that come into play: refined elegance with graceful classical ballet, contemporary floorwork, yoga and Qi gong. Different techniques, different postures, different forms full of tension and relief. This with solo work, duets, group scenes. The duet is very moving: In Broken Ashes. The group of six couples with simultaneous lifts is impressive. She also conjures with light and dark. One moment there is one dancer on stage, the lights go out, flicker back on and the stage is populated with twelve dancers. This happens several times in completely different figurations. The violinist in his dark kimono is very present on stage. At certain moments he is Leader of the game. He plays at the front of the stage and his shadow is magnified enormously on the backdrop. Opposite stands the insignificant, small human being. The performance ends with the song 'If you go away' performed by Tout va bien. As the song gradually fades, violinist Peter Bogaert takes over again with a beautiful closing chord with Sarabande by Bach in an arrangement by Peter Gregson. The combination of music and dance is moving.
Even the curtain call becomes a piece of art. One by one, the names of the dancers are projected on the backdrop, they come forward, bow, and then form a tableau vivant together. Talk about perfectionism.
Particles of God is, in my humble opinion, the most authentic and pure creation of Isabelle Beernaert. She plays with extremes: natural force versus the ethereal and the transcendent. A generous performance that exceeds expectations. A whirlwind of music, light and movement. You are left speechless for a moment.
- Artistic direction, choreography and production: Isabelle Beernaert
- Violinist: Peter Bogaert
- Music: Philip Glass, Max Richter, Bach, Johann Johannson, Pergolesi, Peteris Vasks
- Dancers: Annlydie Groenen, Manon Beernaert Riflettivo, Riccardo Sbrighi, Sofie Konings, Dries Verstreepen, Benjamin Herder, Isabella Halek, Finn Fransen, Emma de la O , Julia Canard, Erik Cataldo, Iuri Da Silva Costa, Klaudia Mierzejewska
Schedule
OCTOBER
Sun 30
Antwerpen
Stadsschouwburg
NOVEMBER
Sun 13
Heist Op Den Berg
CC Zwaneberg
Sun 20
Oostende
Kursaal
DECEMBER
Sun 4
Kortrijk
Schouwburg
JANUARY
Sat 28
Brugge
Concertgebouw
Sun 29
Hasselt
CC Hasselt
FEBRUARY
Fri 10
Gent
Capitole
Sun 19
Vilvoorde + introduction
CC Bolwerk
MARCH
Sun 5
Turnhout
De Warande
Fri 17
Genk
C-Mine