Isn't avant garde dance too lofty? Is it still viable in these harsh cultural times? I Like To Watch Too aims to clear up this misunderstanding. The festival brings experimental dance closer to the public than ever.
Suzy Blok stated I Like To Watch Too together for the seventh time already. Throughout the year, she scouted performances by young dance makers. 'Apart from high dance quality, my criterion was that they should be physical performances with high performance quality. By this I mean that the makers communicate directly with the audience. So there is no 'fourth wall' separating the performers from the audience. As a result, there is a great closeness and intimacy with the audience. The performers are close to the skin, not only in their communication with the audience, but also spatially. So the audience sees the performances up close.'
The physical is an important means of expression in the festival, but not the only one. 'I also looked for visual-art happenings with a physical component. Sound artists, for example, also fit well into the festival. And there is a performance by Fabien Prioville about new technology and communication, in which he uses skype.'
Apart from the type of performances and direct communication with the audience, it makes I Like To Watch Too experimental performances accessible by literally throwing open all of Paradiso's doors. There will be performances in all rooms, from the basement to the top floor. People can walk in and out, have a drink in between and immerse themselves in surprising performances throughout the evening and night. 'That gives an accessibility you don't have in normal theatres. Besides performances, there are dance films by Cinedans on show. And there is an installation, Blowjob, which you can experience one on one. There are also performances made with visual artists, such as Federica Dauri with Egon Schrama and Andrea Miltnerová, working with lighting designer Jan Komarek. They are not easy performances, but the atmosphere is accessible. That's what makes the festival special.'
What is also special is that the audience is allowed to keep dancing after the performances, on Saturdays until five in the morning. 'We make a natural transition from watching to moving. I Like To Watch Too blends seamlessly into I Like To Dance Too. Gil Arrazi provides the transition act, at about a quarter past twelve. He is a very good dancer, winner of international experimental battle 'Juste Debout' in Paris. And we have good DJs. Throughout the night, there will be special acts and small pop-ups among the dancing crowd. Watching and dancing yourself merge like that.'
A plethora of performances are on show. In the upstairs hall, where there is only room for a limited number of spectators, the performances are repeated so that everyone can see everything.
Festival I Like To Watch Too, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Sat 6 July (venue open 20:30) and Sunday 7 July 15:00 - 18:00.
With:
Fabien Prioville, Experiment On Chatting Bodies
Imme van der Haak, Beyond the body
Sébastien Ramirez and Hyun-Jung Wang, AP15
Gil Arrazi, transitional act to disco
And also: Fernando Belfiore, Spitfire Company, Panama Pictures, Andrea Miltnerová, Arno Schuitemaker, Federica Dauri, Guy Nader & Maria Campos, Clara Amaral
Artistic direction: Suzy Blok
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