© Felix Bonnevie
About the work
"For my new creation with NDT 2, I began with the idea of escapism. Together with scenographer Cristina Nyffeler and composers Hologramme and Ben Waters, I started thinking about how young people these days seek ways to step outside of reality – through nightlife, music, and spaces that feel like alternate universes. That sense of escape became the seed for the work.
What fascinates me as a maker is how contrasting states can live in the same body and space such as anxiety and euphoria, autonomy and submission, stillness and speed – these are central to the work. I’ve decided to name the work entropy it’s a scientific term that measures disorder or chaos in energy. In entropy, the stage becomes an intense, dystopian world shaped by these extremes. At times, the movement will feel distorted and ostracized while other moments invite a sense of calm, intimacy, and meditation.
I’m drawn to how virtuosity can appear natural, even simple, and how the humanity of the dancer shines through when the body shifts between the abstract and the recognizably human."
© Rahi Rezvani
"The scenography mirrors this duality: a metal structure that feels both organic and harsh, reflecting the body’s capacity to be deconstructed and rebuilt. Sound has been a major part of building this world. Hologramme’s score, alongside contributions from Ben Waters and live vocalist Mykalle, contrasts electronic layers with raw, abstract textures, echoing the energy of a rave while leaving room for fragility. Lighting by Tom Visser further shapes this shifting landscape.
Working with the NDT 2 dancers has been truly inspiring. They approached the process with eagerness, care, and precision, embracing every moment of exploration. I’m also very grateful for the support of Stephan Laks and Lydia Bustinduy during rehearsals. And lastly, sharing the season with Jermaine Spivey has been surreal for me, as I’ve long admired his work and him as a person.
For you, the audience, I hope you take away a sense of immersion when seeing the work and follow the feeling of separation to intimacy.”
– Ethan Colangelo
Credits
- Choreography
- Ethan Colangelo
- Music
- New composition by Ben Waters with additional original track by Hologramme (live vocals by Mykalle)
- Lighting design
- Tom Visser
- Set design
- Cristina Nyffeler
- Costume design
- Yolanda Klompstra
- NDT rehearsal directors
- Lydia Bustinduy
- Duration
- 19 minutes
- Premiere date
- Sept. 25, 2025
- Premiere location
- Amare, The hague
Original cast:
Joan Jansana Escobedo, Joey Gertin, Chléa Giguère, Eliana Hayward, Ruth Lee, Femmie Packbier, Erin Park, Nathanaël Plantier
© Sacha Grootjans
Nathanaël Plantier about 'entropy':
“What is left of us, once we get home?
To me, Ethan Colangelo’s piece is about youth.
It explores the constant need for refuge, an urgent sense of escapism.
The space created symbolises this altered rave, where a multitude of individuals roam and wander, all protected by the copper structure, designed by Cristina Nyffeler.
As the piece goes on, the gravity of our states increases, its weight dictates our paths between each other, and there lies the ultimate poetry: beauty within the chaos.”
© Rahi Rezvani
Chléa Giguère about 'entropy':
“My first creation process with NDT 2 was an exciting deep dive into Ethan’s movement language. He has a very specific and natural way of moving and researching how to embody that raw, authentic movement quality was a growth-provoking experience for me.
This work is a captivating play of contrasting qualities — constantly overlapping, drastically shifting and always negotiating between opposite forces. A question that came up often was: how to stay honest and fully engaged in each modality, even when it’s so quick or miniscule? This led us to explore the delicate balance between allowing space to control or be controlled and to use different lenses to play between directness and vagueness.”
..It was the eight dancers on which our eyes focused as they explored the dichotomy of how we can feel restless and utterly blissful at the same time, or how inner stillness collides with chaos.
Discover NDT
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Videos
Rehearsal | entropy - Ethan Colangelo
