Crossings 2023

By Linda van Dijk

Participants practice acrobatic movements and cartwheels during a dance workshop in a historic church interior.

From May 30 to June 2, 2023, the special project Crossings took place, a collaboration of stichting de Vrolijkheid, MBO Dans Zuid West, the Grote Kerk Veere and NDT.

During Crossings, the focus was on the encounter. A meeting of young people, each with their own story and background, but with a common goal: to create a dance performance in just three days.

Using the work Ten duets on a Theme of Rescue by Crystal Pite as inspiration, the participants jumped into the deep end. Under the guidance of Dalton Jansen and Linda van Dijk, they worked from movements and themes from Ten duets on a Theme of Rescue and created a choreography in co-creation with the participants. Meeting, trust, surrender, creating together, inspiring each other. To finally perform in front of over 90 people in the beautiful Grote Kerk in Veere.

Crossings was created with a composed company of six MBO Dance students and nine residents of the three asylum seekers centers in Middelburg and Vlissingen aged 18-25.

Group participants follow collective movement exercises guided by a workshop leader.

''I never danced in my life before. Now, I really feel my heart. I want to keep on dancing forever''

Mohammed, participant 'Crossings'

Right from the first moment together in rehearsal, we felt the energy, openness and dedication needed to create a unique and own artistic product together. A choreography where the personal and pure of dancers touches you right in your heart. To see how involved and inspired the participants were, the mutual contact and trust and the talent at their disposal moved me. Crossings is an encounter that I hope will lead to more!

Linda van Dijk