The partners of Dans in Brugge – KAAP, Cultuurcentrum Brugge and Concertgebouw Brugge – don't just showcase dance with Bits of Dance; they also invite choreographers and dancers to share their knowledge during a Makersdag. The festival thus brings a unique combination of knowledge exchange, reflection, try-outs and fully developed performances. The audience gets a often surprising glimpse into the kitchen of artistic practice, while the artist can enter into a direct dialogue with the viewer and with colleagues. This edition also marks the starting point of the joint Dans in Brugge makers' trajectory, with a focus in 2023 on the work of Lisa Vereertbrugghen.
Lisa Vereertbrugghen should actually have shaken Bits of Dance to its foundations in 2020 with DISQUIET; fortunately, patience is a virtue. On 10 March, the Bruges audience can finally be part of her solo on hardcore techno and subgenres such as gabber, hardstyle, jungle and drum-'n-bass. The performance not only showcases dance, but also shows how Vereertbrugghen can exist through dance. Dans in Brugge gladly gives the artistically promising work of Vereertbrugghen its own makers' trajectory, with as the cherry on top a creation for a group of female dancers during December Dance 23. That broad palette of opportunities for makers – from trajectory to try-outs and theatre performances with different 'dance profiles' – forms the strength of the Dans in Brugge alliance.
"The fantastic thing about hardcore techno is that it activates your body. It is a catalyst for energy. I try to offer the audience an experience that stimulates all the senses."
— Lisa Vereertbrugghen in BLVRD