Feri de Geus
is one contributor who has imparted a professional quality to youth dance in the Netherlands. In the early nineties youth dance organizations approached established choreographers, asking them to create work for youngsters. The idea behind this was that a youth audience for dance will become an adult audience in the future. Productions were performed both in theatres and schools. De Geus used this opportunity to create work for an audience that responds directly and honestly. Starting points have always been clarity in composition, a non- childish approach and a high demand for input from the performers.
Dame of een tijger was created for the opening of the Cadance festival in The Hague in 1994. The performance, with music by pop celebrity Henny Vrienten, was based on a fairytale with a riddle by American writer Frank Stockton. The success of the production was demonstrated in the statistics: 125 performances and more than 25.000 young visitors.
REPERTORY ARCHIVE
Bende van zes (Gang of Six)created in 1991 was his first youth dance production inspired by different images of Africa. In a mix of African dance vocabulary, and modern dance movements, a young audience was attracted by pure dance and live music in a playful setting. The performance was presented over 60 times in the Netherlands.
Proud2B
The latest assignment for de Geus and Bijvoets is a youth dance production for the Internationaal Danstheater. In barber's shop Proud2B is Moroccan Mostafa chief. All kinds of colorful people from different cultures are looking in the mirror of his shop. Big and small, blond and dark, shy and macho; they are all subjected to the scissors, razor, brooms and hot blowers of his personnel. Proud2B tells about people in the big city. Inhabitants that come from faraway places, each of them with an own story. In short the world in a barber's shop. www.intdanstheater.net
