Isabelle Beernaert's talent has matured and crystallized over the years. Like everyone, she has been refined and polished by life. As an artist, she has reached a turning point where she wants not only to please the audience, but also to connect them with her own world of thought in a fusion of spiritual and physical energy, something substantial that touches the essence of our being.
In Particles of God there are no song texts that are additionally converted into body language, but abstract music that vibrates to life and carries her dancers in a concentration of power to higher realms. As a dancer and choreographer, Isabelle Beernaert is firmly rooted in Mother Earth, her arms like solid branches spread invitingly toward heaven. She experiences meditation as a prelude to a terrain that transcends and goes beyond pure human will and disposal. She communicates about this: "I make my productions to touch people on different levels of consciousness. Dance is a silent language that tells so much and moves at the same time."
The gaze directed inward
The tangible and visible world is part of a larger and more encompassing world that also includes the ineffable. Humanity constantly disturbs the cosmic balance. Nature remains supreme and is prominently present in the performance. Her latest choreography Particles of God is both existential and poetic. We all exist from the same fabric as the world around us. For her, from a moral high ground, it is a hypnotic journey between dust and eternity. As a counterpoint to suffering, we have beauty; Beernaert's means of expression is DANCE. This performance testifies to an iron-strong stylistic awareness of the visual and expressive possibilities of the body.
Music selection
She chose predominantly minimalist music, often with an ethereal sound. Music of overwhelming intensity. Isabelle Beernaert places the spiritual against physical life. A world in which the outward-directed and inward-directed are constantly opposed to each other. In the performance predominantly live music by Belgian composer and violinist Peter Bogaert, who runs through the performance like a red thread. His music is characterized by a quest, a rhythmic postminimalism that nonetheless does not shy away from complexity. Further works by Philip Glass, Max Richter, J. S. Bach, Johann Johannson, Pergolesi, Peteris Vasks performed by Norwegian top violinist Mari Samuelson. In the performance, Peter Bogaert often engages in dialogue with her. This results in a beautiful, impressive soundscape.
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A meditative bath
Upon entering the hall, the audience sees a text projected on the front curtain that somewhat prepares them for what will be shown. A profound philosophical text. Its essence is: "All of the external forms are lovely, but the real work is your inner connection".
In the next phase, the audience is invited to close their eyes for a meditative moment, humming voices with a crystal-clear soprano ringing out above help with this. Phase three: in filtered light, a figure in a black kimono stands centrally positioned on stage. Violinist Peter Bogaert gently draws his instrument across, melodious atmospheric music that is suddenly pierced by harsh dissonants. An accident or illness also falls suddenly and unexpectedly from the sky. The earth does not stop, it keeps turning. The music continues beautifully again. Twelve dancers, an international top cast, stride majestically onto the stage. Their outfit, many paper-thin layers of fabric on top of each other, in a color palette of beige and brown tones, looks Eastern. A beautiful piece of craftsmanship by Spanish designer Rosa Esteva. The dancers open their arms, bow humbly, straighten up again, stretch their arms reaching toward heaven. Beernaert engages all natural elements: wind, storm, lightning, rain, the surge of ebb and flow. Like leaves in the wind, the dancers spin across the stage. Beautiful atmospheric lighting and cloud formations drifting by complete the picture. The dancers are carried away by the wind or fight against it. The swirling light fabrics of the costumes lend the whole thing extra dynamism.
Beernaert builds her scenography around several core ideas: Meditation, Guiding, Like a Phoenix, Beliefs, And Sorrow, Radiant, In Broken Ashes. In Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, a figure stands in the crowd and is not seen. You are moved by the unfathomable beauty of the composition. An example of spiritual connection, an intangible phenomenon. The contrast is all the more striking. Individuals stand before each other, but do not see each other, look through one another. Indifference reigns. People no longer connect with each other or with nature. She lets the natural elements play a strong role. The bodies of the dancers move to the liberating organic force that connects them with the universe from which they emerged. She seeks to penetrate the inner self, in order to switch a button there in connecting moments.
© Kim Vos / Clothing: Cortana
© Kim Vos / Clothing: Cortana
© Kim Vos / Clothing: Cortana
All-rounder
Beernaert demonstrates her versatility in the various dance styles that are featured: refined elegance with graceful classical ballet, contemporary floorwork, yoga and Qi gong. Different techniques, different postures, different forms full of tension and relief. This with solo work, duets, group scenes. The duet is very moving: In Broken Ashes. The group of six couples with simultaneous lifts is skillfully executed. She also conjures with light and darkness. One moment there is one dancer on stage, the light goes out, flicks back on and the stage is populated with twelve dancers. This happens several times in completely different configurations. The violinist in his dark kimono is very present on stage. At certain moments he is Leader of the game. He plays at the front of the stage and his shadow is enlarged hugely on the backdrop. Against this stands the insignificant, small human. The performance ends with the song 'If you go away' in a performance by Tout va bien. As the song gradually fades out, violinist Peter Bogaert takes over again in a beautiful final chord with Sarabande by Bach in an arrangement by Peter Gregson. The combination of music and dance is moving.
Even the curtain call becomes a piece of art. One by one, the names of the dancers are projected on the backdrop, they come forward, bow, and then together form a tableau vivant. Talk about perfectionism.
Particles of God is, in my humble opinion, the most authentic and pure creation of Isabelle Beernaert. She plays with extremes: natural force versus the ethereal and the transcendent. A generous performance that more than meets expectations. A swirl of music, light and movement. You are left speechless for a moment.
- Artistic direction, choreography and production: Isabelle Beernaert
- Violinist: Peter Bogaert
- Music: Philip Glass, Max Richter, Bach, Johann Johannson, Pergolesi, Peteris Vasks
- Dancers: Annlydie Groenen, Manon Beernaert Riflettivo, Riccardo Sbrighi, Sofie Konings, Dries Verstreepen, Benjamin Herder, Isabella Halek, Finn Fransen, Emma de la O , Julia Canard, Erik Cataldo, Iuri Da Silva Costa, Klaudia Mierzejewska
Schedule
OCTOBER
Sun 30
Antwerpen
Stadsschouwburg
NOVEMBER
Sun 13
Heist Op Den Berg
CC Zwaneberg
Sun 20
Oostende
Kursaal
DECEMBER
Sun 4
Kortrijk
Schouwburg
JANUARY
Sat 28
Brugge
Concertgebouw
Sun 29
Hasselt
CC Hasselt
FEBRUARY
Fri 10
Gent
Capitole
Sun 19
Vilvoorde + introduction
CC Bolwerk
MARCH
Sun 5
Turnhout
De Warande
Fri 17
Genk
C-Mine