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Imágenes 2000, 2001
The first intercultural project by Le Grand Cru. A floating raft functioning as an outdoor stage was the setting for Imágenes, with dancers of the Escuela Nacional de Danza Moderna y Folklórica in Havana. Inspiration for this work came from images of Cuba including the large demonstrations and the USA boycott. As a subtle reference to the political system the famous music The State by Dutch composer Louis Andriessen was used. Imágenes continued to draw large crowds when the work was presented in Amsterdam during the following year at the ITS Festival.
El Camino del Agua 2005
An artistic meeting between youngsters of two different cultures; dancers from the Escuela Nacional de Danza Moderna y Folklórica in Havana, Cuba, and musicians from the Dutch Youth String Orchestra. El Camino del Agua is inspired by the Afro-Cuban Orishas. The music score is composed by Patricio Wang. The performance was a big hit on summer festivals in the Netherlands and was successfully presented at the Teatro Nacional in Havana. Over 9000 people saw this production.
www.elcaminodelagua.nl
www.elcaminodelagua.nl
¿Ultimo? 2006
On request of the Cuban partner Le Grand Cru has created an exchange with the Vooropleiding Dans in Venlo. A performance with differences and similarities between peers from two cultures. The Dutch dancers have been training for two weeks at the school in Cuba and the Cuban dancers rehearsed and performed for one month in the Netherlands under the guidance of LGC and principal teacher Arlay González Padin and Head of the Dance department Liesbeth Wiertz. ¿Ultimo? is an expression of courtesy at the busstop, but when the bus comes nobody wants to be last. Rules are there to disobey sometimes, especially when you are young, a dancer and ambitious. The first, the best and the most beautiful.
Reviews
El Camino del Agua
'...Passionate dancing echoes on the central square of Rotterdam... Elegant are the girls with their yellow fans and gigantic skirts. Passionate are the 'masculine' boys with their bare chests. With red paint on their hands they print each other's back. A feast to watch... a gorgeous picture...'
Rotterdams Dagblad, 27 June 05
'...We are immersed in a bath of music: salutary and bewildered. The music of Patricio Wang sounds charming, than again furious... More spectacular than any other performances of the opening night of the festival was this performance with ten Cuban dancers. They were that convincing on stage, that one wished the Dutch students had the same animation on the opening night of the International Theatreschool festival...'
Volkskrant, 25 June 05
'...As a special opening of the International Theatreschool Festival El Camino del Agua was presented. Dutch choreographers Feri de Geus en Noortje Bijvoets created this work with students of the Cuban Academy for Modern and Folkloric Dance. Based on Afro-Cuban Orishas, the youthful enthusiasm of the dancers was infectious. The execution of Patricio Wang's musical composition was performed very well by the Dutch String Orchestra...'
NRC Handelsblad, 27 June 05
'...The young Cuban dancers of El Camino del Agua have made a deep impression…I saw the marching in the end. With that mix of water and sand and the duet from the beginning of the performance. That really gave me goose pimples...'
Oerol Krantsje, 17 June 05
¿Ultimo?
"At the beginning of the performance we directly see the contrasts between free moving of the Dutch Youth and the strong discipline of the Cubans. The Dutch dancers move in a wild way through space on 'Nirvana' 'smells like teen spirit' Alternating the dance a solo, which expresses their individuality. When the Cubans react, a drilled choreography follows accompanied by the military voice of an invisible teacher. It is modern dance, but looks like military precision. This effect is augmented by their costumes: a green training suit with 'Cuba' and a red painted hand on the back. After this opening a series of different scenes follow..."
"Behind a banner with 'Hasta La Victoria Siempre' a boy appears changing T-shirts of Che Guevara and Balkenende (Dutch prime-minister). It turns out to be two different dancers, twins. The audience strongly appreciates this trick of vision..."
"The performance ends with a Spanish spoken text about family and love. One dancer translates in Dutch showing this scene is a key moment in the performance. The dancers on stage are visibly touched. A special strong moment as both on the Cuban side (twin brothers) as on the Dutch side (brother and sister) are on stage..."
"Most striking of Ultimo is the professionalism of the dancers. The performance is made in a very short time, in fact work in progress. Nonetheless, the strong technique and performance quality of the dancers makes the work look strong and mature. And of course the dancers have tasted another culture as a personal experience; a short but relevant exchange."
Vakblad Dans, January 2007, Hanneke Koolen
'...Passionate dancing echoes on the central square of Rotterdam... Elegant are the girls with their yellow fans and gigantic skirts. Passionate are the 'masculine' boys with their bare chests. With red paint on their hands they print each other's back. A feast to watch... a gorgeous picture...'
Rotterdams Dagblad, 27 June 05
'...We are immersed in a bath of music: salutary and bewildered. The music of Patricio Wang sounds charming, than again furious... More spectacular than any other performances of the opening night of the festival was this performance with ten Cuban dancers. They were that convincing on stage, that one wished the Dutch students had the same animation on the opening night of the International Theatreschool festival...'
Volkskrant, 25 June 05
'...As a special opening of the International Theatreschool Festival El Camino del Agua was presented. Dutch choreographers Feri de Geus en Noortje Bijvoets created this work with students of the Cuban Academy for Modern and Folkloric Dance. Based on Afro-Cuban Orishas, the youthful enthusiasm of the dancers was infectious. The execution of Patricio Wang's musical composition was performed very well by the Dutch String Orchestra...'
NRC Handelsblad, 27 June 05
'...The young Cuban dancers of El Camino del Agua have made a deep impression…I saw the marching in the end. With that mix of water and sand and the duet from the beginning of the performance. That really gave me goose pimples...'
Oerol Krantsje, 17 June 05
¿Ultimo?
"At the beginning of the performance we directly see the contrasts between free moving of the Dutch Youth and the strong discipline of the Cubans. The Dutch dancers move in a wild way through space on 'Nirvana' 'smells like teen spirit' Alternating the dance a solo, which expresses their individuality. When the Cubans react, a drilled choreography follows accompanied by the military voice of an invisible teacher. It is modern dance, but looks like military precision. This effect is augmented by their costumes: a green training suit with 'Cuba' and a red painted hand on the back. After this opening a series of different scenes follow..."
"Behind a banner with 'Hasta La Victoria Siempre' a boy appears changing T-shirts of Che Guevara and Balkenende (Dutch prime-minister). It turns out to be two different dancers, twins. The audience strongly appreciates this trick of vision..."
"The performance ends with a Spanish spoken text about family and love. One dancer translates in Dutch showing this scene is a key moment in the performance. The dancers on stage are visibly touched. A special strong moment as both on the Cuban side (twin brothers) as on the Dutch side (brother and sister) are on stage..."
"Most striking of Ultimo is the professionalism of the dancers. The performance is made in a very short time, in fact work in progress. Nonetheless, the strong technique and performance quality of the dancers makes the work look strong and mature. And of course the dancers have tasted another culture as a personal experience; a short but relevant exchange."
Vakblad Dans, January 2007, Hanneke Koolen