Masterclasses

“Dancing for me is being guided by a strong inner intuition rather than by technique. Movements are to communicate, with yourself as an honest expression and with others to communicate. Movement is like talking, singing, laughing…. As long as it tells something that has to be told as an urge, like an impulse, unstoppable. Therefore, dancing is close to theater. A carrier of inner states which are shared to tell stories.” - Wim Vandekeybus

For Wim Vandekeybus (Belgium), the animal has been present in his life since the beginning. His father was a vet, taking his son with him when he was called to deliver baby horses. In 1986 Vandekeybus started Ultima Vez with the premiere of What the Body Does Not Remember, which won a Bessie Award for its innovation. And now almost 35 years and a whole series of shows and films, Wim Vandekeybus is still searching for novelty and innovation through different media (dance, music, theatre, ...). “For me, the form has to be different every time,” he explains. “This is why on one occasion I might create an extremely musical show (nieuwZwart), then for my next project I base a film on the experiences of one man (Monkey Sandwich), why I then might switch to a classical mythology play (Oedipus/bêt noir or Die Bakchen) or even an analytical piece in which theatricality plays a major part (Talk to the Demon).” In all these very different productions, Ultima Vez nevertheless remains true to its own movement idiom. Tension, conflict, body versus mind, risks and impulses. Physicality, passion, intuition, instinct.