J O U R N E Y at Act Your Age Festival

Although I missed most of day two of Act Your Festival, I rolled in a very warm and inspiring ambience for the final presentation of this day.
In J o u r n e y we see just two dancers, two generations, in a very clean and minimalistic mise-en-scene. Koen is a 31-year-old choreographer and performer, Alphea an 88-year-old dancer and pedagogue. Together they form a beautiful picture. Captivating from beginning to the end.

In J o u r n e y they probe the borders, push back boundaries. It is a performance about being here – now; about the strength of the human body. Together they bridge the gap between young and old, and 60 years of dance history, in a balancing act between wanting and being able to. These two people share a dream: to go on dancing to the end of their days.

Koen De Preter had wanted to work with older performers for several years. In the realization that the elderly are conspicuously underrepresented in our streetscape and on stage, he set out to question the modern-day obsession with youth. When he met Alphea Pouget in Provence in 2010, he was instantly infatuated with her stage presence and the furrows in her skin. He knew that she was the person he was looking for.

picture: Tanh Beels

When you two danced
Oh what a dance
When you two laughed
Oh what a laugh
Has he mentioned my age love?
THE KNIFE, Pass this on

J o u r n e y brings two generations closer.
Choreography: Koen De Preter
Dance: Alphea Pouget, Koen De Preter
Dramaturgy: Annette van Zwoll

http://www.koendepreter.com

More information about the festival: http://www.actyourage.eu

picture: Tanh Beels