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22.05.2025 - 26.05.2025
FRANK
Cherish Menzo
Tickets

FRANK

Cherish Menzo
Thu 22.05.2025 - Mon 26.05.2025
22.05.2025
-
26.05.2025

“We are in an alien world. Only awkward movement is possible.” (Bayo Akomolafe)

Choreographer Cherish Menzo examines the figure of the monster in FRANK—short for Frankenstein. More than (re)producing a physical or visual portrayal of the monster, she is researching the monstrous as an embodiment of beliefs and narratives that terrify and horrify, and yet also attract us. Distortion is a choreographic leitmotif used to generate movement material and as a tool to devour the dance and loosen its structure.

Menzo investigates the action of decay and how something gradually breaking down and becoming less or worse can affect one’s gestures. She is joined by Omagbitse Omagbemi, Mulunesh, and Malick Cissé—performing artists from different generations—to construct a performance between the ritual, the apocalypse, and the carnival, where narrated identities are challenged, where flesh can deviate and be corrupted until it bursts and becomes unbearable.

The dancers express their standing in the world with incoherent, broken-down movement in a scenery that collapses around them. In an increasingly unstable world of hiccups and unlikely events, often gruesome and violent, we are reminded of early horror movies and this eerie feeling, the flicker in the dark.

Credits

Presentatie | Présentation Kunstenfestivaldesarts, KVS Concept en regie | concept et mise en scène | concept and direction Cherish Menzo Creatie en performance | création & performance | creation and performance Malick Cissé, Mulunesh, Omagbitse Omagbemi Geluidsontwerp | création sonore | sound design Maria Muehombo aka M I M Video design | création vidéo Andrea Casetti Geluids- en videotechniek | Ingénieur son et vidéo | sound and video engineering Arthur De Vuyst Decorontwerp | création decors | set design Morgana Machado Marques Lichtontwerp | création lumières | lighting design Ryoya Fudetani Dramaturgie | dramaturgy Johanne Affricot, Renée Copraij Make-up design | création maquillage Johanna Cool Tekst | texte | text Khadija El Kharraz Alami, Cherish Menzo Technici op tournee | techniciens tournée | technicians on tour Ryoya Fudetani, Hadrien Jeangette, Arthur De Vuyst Grafisch ontwerp | création graphique | graphic design Nick Mattan Internationale verspreiding | distribution internationale | international distribution A propic - Line Rousseau, Marion Gauvent Productie | production GRIP & Theater Utrecht (Dorothy Blokland, Anne Breure, Owen Cicilia, Kelly de Haan, Hanne Doms, Seline Gosling, Anneleen Hermans, Tom Hemmer, Myrthe Ligtenberg, Rudi Meulemans, Lize Meynaerts, Klaartje Oerlemans, Jennifer Piasecki, Sylvie Svanberg, Ad van Mierlo, Vincent Wijlhuizen, Nele Verreyken) In samenwerking met | en collaboration avec | in collaboration with Dance On Ensemble | Coproductie: Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Carreau du Temple, Productiehuis Theater Rotterdam, Julidans, PACT Zollverein, Montpellier Danse, Centre Chorégraphique National d’Orléans, Tanzquartier Wien, DDD - Festival Dias da Dança, Festival d’Automne à Paris, One Dance Festival, Perpodium Met de steun van | avec le soutien de | with the support of Stichting Ammodo, de Vlaamse Overheid, de Tax Shelter van de Belgische Federale Overheid via Cronos Invest, BNG Bank Theaterprijs en de Charlotte Köhler Prijs van het Cultuurfonds Met dank aan | merci à | thanks to Centre national de la danse, BRONKS, KWP Kunstenwerkplaats