Anyone who was still left wondering what the vision of the governing VVD party on art is now out. For that vision is simple. Art is sport. According to the VVD. That Rotterdam alderman said, so says the husband of top wrestler Albert Verlinde, runner Onno Hoes, who moonlights as mayor of Maastricht. During the opening of the Dutch Dance Days on Friday night, 7 October, he expressed the new credo of the steeled body culture thus:
"Dance as a cultural form, but also as a 'sport' is accessible to everyone. Whatever your origin or background, dancing is a freedom of expression that is easily accessible. Just in your street with friends to here in the theatre. A broad cultural expression that all strata of society can enjoy. By participating in it, through practice or by watching it. For me personally, dance is a form of perfect body control. I just called it a sport, and that is how I see it. To put elegance and suppleness in dance, it is necessary to take care of and train your body optimally. A mastery of your muscles to the extreme. Absolute top-class sport."
So we also know what to look out for at festivals like this from now on. Always difficult to choose the most beautiful dance of the past season, now it's only about the company the that got the most points with a bonus for vertical splits and quintuple reedbergers. And beautiful white bodies, of course. So next year's Theatre Festival, which showcases the best theatre in the Netherlands, will be about who can memorise the most text. And at the Dutch Film Festival, it will be about the best example of functional focussing. Won this year with conviction by Nasrin Dchar's calf.
And Joop van den Ende, who At his opening speech of the Theatre Festival still called for a great champion for the arts, a kind of Erica Terpstra for the arts, actually, can cease his quest. After all, that will just be Erica Terpstra herself.
Mayor Hoes' entire speech can be found here:
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