{"id":99122,"date":"2025-10-15T17:07:05","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T15:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/?p=99122"},"modified":"2025-10-15T17:07:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T15:07:07","slug":"zwarte-barbies-doorbreken-de-norm-in-lets-go-barbie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2025\/10\/zwarte-barbies-doorbreken-de-norm-in-lets-go-barbie\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Barbies break the norm in Let's go Barbie"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br \/><strong>ROTTERDAM, 15 OCTOBER 2025<\/strong> - What does a Barbie doll say about who we are allowed to be? And who we are not? In the award-winning show<em> Let's go Barbie<\/em> by Sue-Ann Bel and Hali Neto, barbies slip out of their pink straitjacket. Using dance, movement and images, the makers show how deeply ingrained social expectations are in our bodies - and how liberating it is to shake them off.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The show<em> Let's go Barbie<\/em> is aimed at everyone aged 8 to 99 and will have its festive premiere at the Maaspodium in Rotterdam on Saturday 18 October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From perfection to liberation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At <em>Let's go Barbie<\/em> the audience steps into Sue-Ann's carefully created world - a world where everything is right except for herself. When a crack appears in the perfect picture, a physical and emotional escape ensues. Without words, but with an explosion of dance and movement, the audience feels what it is like to be trapped in expectations - and what it means to break out of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Representation matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is a conscious choice to work with black barbies. Generations of children grew up with white barbies as the norm. \"Now that I am older, I would have granted myself several barbies as a child\" explains creator Sue-Ann Bel who is of Surinamese descent,and plays one of the Barbies \"It is not only about colour, but about recognition. About being seen - and daring to recognise yourself in the world around you.\" In <em>Let's go Barbie<\/em>&nbsp;the puppets gradually become people of flesh and blood, without demands or perfection. The audience literally moves with the transformation - from cramped to free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Liberation dance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The makers call<em>&nbsp;Let's go Barbie<\/em>&nbsp;a \"liberation dance\". It is not a performance to watch, but to experience. Its physical intensity makes tangible what happens when you are constantly pushed into boxes, and what is released when those boxes disappear. Maker Hali Neto who is of Angolan origin: \"For me, this piece is about the world I live in, which is becoming increasingly harsh and polarised. <em>Let's go Barbie<\/em>&nbsp;is my way of creating air in it - to make room for gentleness, humour and freedom.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Young generation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The show is made for audiences as young as 8 years old. That choice is also deliberate. Sue-Ann: \"Children are the future. They see an awful lot, really think about it and take that home with them. So it feels like we can communicate a lot with this target group. In addition, Hali and I like to invite adults who come along to see through their children's eyes. Their gaze has a certain kind of openness and open-mindedness that they can learn from\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Nationwide tour<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The show <em>Let's go Barbie<\/em>&nbsp;will premiere on Saturday 18 October at the Maaspodium in Rotterdam. This will be followed by a nationwide tour of theatres in the Netherlands, running until January 2026.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ROTTERDAM, 15 OKTOBER 2025 \u2013 Wat zegt een Barbiepop over wie we mogen zijn? En wie niet? In de bekroonde voorstelling Let\u2019s go Barbie van Sue-Ann Bel en Hali Neto ontglippen barbies hun roze keurslijf. De makers tonen met dans, beweging en beeld hoe diep maatschappelijke verwachtingen in ons lijf gegrift zitten \u2013 en hoe [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":99124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"federated","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11917,8843,4759],"tags":[13473],"class_list":["post-99122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-persberichten","category-podiumkunst","category-theater-podiumkunst-2","tag-maas-theater-en-dans"],"featured_image_url":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68ef679b3a83f-150x150.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68ef679b3a83f-300x214.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68ef679b3a83f.jpg","large":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68ef679b3a83f.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68ef679b3a83f.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68ef679b3a83f.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68ef679b3a83f-18x12.jpg"},"post_author":"een van onze leden","assigned_categories":"PERSBERICHTEN, PODIUMKUNST, THEATER","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":137041,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2026\/09\/lets-flow-10-is-een-luidruchtige-ode-aan-het-menstruerende-lijf\/","url_meta":{"origin":99122,"position":0},"title":"LET\u2019S FLOW (10+) IS A LOUD ODE TO THE MENSTRUATING BODY","author":"Maas Theater en Dans","date":"3 September 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On Saturday 17 October 2026, \u2018Let\u2019s Flow\u2019 (10+) by Maas theatre and dance will premiere at the Maaspodium in Rotterdam. This musical, physical and moving performance by award-winning creator Sue-Ann Bel explores what happens in your body when you bleed and flow, and what happens when that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;PERSBERICHTEN&quot;","block_context":{"text":"PERSBERICHTEN","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/service\/persberichten\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95804,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2024\/11\/troostvoer-vogue-en-vulvaverse-in-from-here-onwards\/","url_meta":{"origin":99122,"position":1},"title":"COMFORT FOOD, VOGUE AND VULVAVERSE IN FROM HERE ONWARDS","author":"een van onze leden","date":"25 November 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"On 19, 20, and 21 December at the Maaspodium in Rotterdam, Maas theatre and dance, What You See Festival and Jonge Harten Festival will present three theatrical investigations for young people in the joint trajectory From here onwards: makers Guilliano Pinas, Art Wutthinan Srisayam and Sue-Ann Bel will all share on their own artistic...","rel":"","context":"In &quot;PERSBERICHTEN&quot;","block_context":{"text":"PERSBERICHTEN","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/service\/persberichten\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image001.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image001.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":101246,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/maas-theater-en-dans-biedt-troost-bij-elk-afscheid\/","url_meta":{"origin":99122,"position":2},"title":"Maas Theatre and Dance offers comfort for any goodbye","author":"Wijbrand Schaap","date":"20 April 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"There are plenty of reasons to severely condemn Disney for Bambi. How many four-year-olds have had to sit through that cartoon in thick tears because of the saddest goodbye in the world? How much trauma has that caused and shouldn't it be included in the DSM-V? Reason enough for Maas Theatre and...","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DANS&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DANS","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/podiumkunst\/dans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/co9zps1DtlE\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":138014,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2026\/09\/maas-en-wunderbaum-dansen-zich-los-van-alle-regels-in-en-nou-gaan-we-even-helemaal-uit-onze-plaat-een-topshow\/","url_meta":{"origin":99122,"position":3},"title":"MAAS AND WUNDERBAUM DANCE THEIR WAY FREE FROM ALL THE RULES IN *EN NOU GAAN WE EVEN HELEMAAL UIT ONZE PLAAT* (a top-class show)","author":"Maas Theater en Dans","date":"9 September 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On Sunday 22 November 2026, *EN NOU GAAN WE EVEN HELEMAAL UIT ONZE PLAAT* (a top-class show) (6+) by Maas theatre and dance and Acteursgroep Wunderbaum will premiere at Theater Zuidplein in Rotterdam. This is the first time that Maas and Wunderbaum have collaborated on a production for the main auditorium\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;PERSBERICHTEN&quot;","block_context":{"text":"PERSBERICHTEN","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/service\/persberichten\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":115191,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2026\/06\/het-nieuwe-seizoen-van-theater-rotterdam-de-makerscommunity-trekt-met-9-producties-het-land-in\/","url_meta":{"origin":99122,"position":4},"title":"Theatre Rotterdam's new season - the maker community travels the country with 9 productions\u00a0","author":"Theater Rotterdam","date":"2 June 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A season full of cross-pollination, collaborations and the entire creative community taking to the stage This coming theatre season, Theater Rotterdam will be touring the country for the first time with all the creators from its creative community. More than ever, the various creators at Theater Rotterdam are coming together, with collaborations in which they enhance each other\u2019s work, from co-creations\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;PERSBERICHTEN&quot;","block_context":{"text":"PERSBERICHTEN","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/service\/persberichten\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":65518,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2020\/06\/maas-maakt-voorstelling-bij-keti-koti\/","url_meta":{"origin":99122,"position":5},"title":"MAAS makes performance at Keti Koti","author":"een van onze leden","date":"12 June 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"On Tuesday 30 June and Wednesday 1 July 2020, Aan tafel can be seen at the Maaspodium, Rotterdam, a performance on the history of slavery as part of Keti Koti. It is the third year in a row that Maas is trying to make this painful part of history palpable with...","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Alleen voor leden&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Alleen voor leden","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/genre\/service\/members-only\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Aan-tafel_theater-bij-Keti-Koti_Maas-theater-en-dans.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3yKke-pMK","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/68ef679b3a83f.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99122"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99125,"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99122\/revisions\/99125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}