Flemish Features

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Flemish featuresNinke van Herpt

MA Choreography Fontys TilburgAugust 2006

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Flemish featuresFlemish featuresFlemish featuresFlemish features

Discussing Flemish contemporary danceDiscussing Flemish contemporary danceDiscussing Flemish contemporary danceDiscussing Flemish contemporary dance

of the eighties and ninetiesof the eighties and ninetiesof the eighties and ninetiesof the eighties and nineties

within a cultural frameworkwithin a cultural frameworkwithin a cultural frameworkwithin a cultural framework

Ninke van HerptMa Choreography

Fontys TilburgAugust 2006


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Flemish featuresFlemish featuresFlemish featuresFlemish features

Discussing Flemish contemporary dance

of the eighties and nineties

within a cultural framework

Index page 1

IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroduction pages 2 - 3

Chapter 1: Contemporary theatre dance as cultural aspectChapter 1: Contemporary theatre dance as cultural aspectChapter 1: Contemporary theatre dance as cultural aspectChapter 1: Contemporary theatre dance as cultural aspect

1.1 Culture pages 4 - 7

1.2 Dance and culture pages 8 - 11

Chapter 2:Chapter 2:Chapter 2:Chapter 2: Flemish featuresFlemish featuresFlemish featuresFlemish features

2.1 Belgium and Flanders page 12

2.2 Belgian cultural context of contemporary dance pages 13 - 16

2.3 Flemish dance wave pages 17 - 20

Conclusion: the emperors new clothesConclusion: the emperors new clothesConclusion: the emperors new clothesConclusion: the emperors new clothes pages 21 - 23

BibliographyBibliographyBibliographyBibliography pages 24 27

AppendicesAppendicesAppendicesAppendices

Chronological list of dance productions 1980 - 1997

Appendix A: Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker page 28

Appendix B: Wim Vandekeybus page 29


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IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroduction

In this essay the so-called Flemish dance wave of the 1980s and early 90s is researched

as a cultural phenomenon. The motivation for this research originates from my interest in

culture and society as a shaping and forming mechanism and the question how dance as

a performative category is influenced by culture and society.

The sudden rise of choreographers of contemporary dance in the Belgian province

Flanders in the 1980s stirred the international dance world. Choreographers such as

Fabre, De Keersmaeker, Vandekeybus and Platel arose within a country where the

predominant ballet tradition ruled the stages. In my Dutch dance-student eyes the

innovative approach of the 1980s and early 90s to contemporary dance shook my world.

Performances such as Rosas danst Rosas (1982), the dance-video Roseland (1990) by

Vandekeybus and Daun alltra faccia del tempo (1993) by Fabre formed a sharp contrast

with the stylistic, dramatic and controlled Graham and Cunningham style I was familiar

with. The uninhibited energy, the pedestrian movements, the accessible patterns, the

freedom of Belgian dance in which drive took over were a giant eye-opener to me.

How could it come to be that from a small country like Belgium, specifically from the even

smaller region of Flanders, a new dance generation stood up with distinct features,

movement vocabulary and aesthetics in the field of contemporary dance? What was this

Flemish dance wave and is it possible to frame eventual Flemish features to a specific

cultural identity or framework?

Jans (1999: p. 5-6) states that despite fundamental differences in their work, De

Keersmaeker () and Vandekeybus are seen as the representatives of a Flemish impulse

in modern dance characterised by immediacy, authenticity and physical energy.

I have chosen to explore Flemish dance in general, relating to Belgian culture and society,

and then exemplify my findings with work of De Keersmaeker and Vandekeybus. Both

choreographers have continuously contributed to the international contemporary dance

circuit and changed my perception of what dance can be. The choice is made, based on

both personal preference and available texts and information, to let De Keersmaeker and

Vandekeybus represent the Flemish dance wave in this essay.


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The registration on video and DVD of both Rosas and Ultima Vez-performances and texts

by Laermans, Gielen and Jans provide material on Flemish dance and sociological

framing. Carlsons Performance: a critical introduction (2003) and the Cultural theory

and popular culture books by Storey (2006) helped frame the relation between culture

and performance. Psychological, cultural and sociological theories have been considered,

to find a specific explanation of the Flemish dance wave relating to social theory. Looking

at dance through the filter of culture implies that a contextual approach is chosen in this

essay. Dance is researched as (socio-)cultural means of expression.

The so-called Flemish dance wave is interesting within a cultural frame because Flemish

choreographers of the 1980s absolutely redefined dance through advocating new

cultural ideas, images and frames.

As Debelder (2006:p. 2) suggests, one of the important characteristics of the Flemish

dance wave is that it adjusted the perception of the dancing body and dancing man in

Belgium.

In chapter 1 culture and dance as a cultural aspect will be examined.

Chapter 2 investigates Belgian culture and how this affects Belgian contemporary dance.

The second chapter researches the existence and legitimisation of the Flemish dance

wave.

In the conclusion an attempt is made to decide if the Flemish wave is a culturally

definable phenomenon.


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Chapter 1: Contemporary theatre dance as cultural aspectChapter 1: Contemporary theatre dance as cultural aspectChapter 1: Contemporary theatre dance as cultural aspectChapter 1: Contemporary theatre dance as cultural aspect

1.1 Culture

As indicated in the introduction, dance is researched in this essay as (socio-)cultural

means of expression. To identify a cultural or sociological framework different research

questions are of importance:

- What is culture?

- How does dance relate to culture?

Culture in this essay is considered as the context, the filter through which we look at

dance. But what is culture? According to Polhemus (Carter, 1998: p.171) culture is

() everything which the members of a social group (any social group) have incommon everything which they share and which contributes to and generates theirsense of we-ness. Culture is the glue which holds people together.

In this definition the emphasis is put on everything people share within a social group.

Social groups can be widely regarded. In this general description of culture the binding

aspect of culture is highlighted. In the search for a we-ness, people a social group

engage in an exchange of interests, ideas, norms and values to define the shared

aspects that form their culture. Culture only exists or is formed when sharing happens.

When culture is considered a sharing, multiple partners are involved. Culture therefore is

always communication, an exchange of signs which identify the members of that specific

culture. For this essay I will consider contemporary dance in Belgium in the 1980s and

those who take part in the communication about the artwork as the social group.

We can look at the question from the perspective of sender and receiver, and thus

define the choreographers as senders of a message and the audience, the critics and the

environment in which the choreographies are embedded as the receivers. Based on van

Meer and van Neijenhofs (1996, p.13) model of communication processes, the

preceding idea could be represented as in figure 1: cultural communication.


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Figure 1: Cultural communication

When considering culture as communication, the reception and/or perception of the

message, in the form of a lingual or non-lingual sign, is filtered through a culturally

defined value system. The choice of content may even be a cultural or sociological

influenced message. Dealing with culture is dealing with stated opinions of various social

groups.

Culture is hard to define because it represents a shifting state, a process and depending

on different partakers. It is important to recognize that the perception of a culture is

personal, depending on which culture the onlooker belongs to. Each member of a culture

has his/her individual interests, norms and values and belongs to diverse (sub)cultures.

Culture has a strong time-related character. As communication constantly refines and

adjusts while it evolves, a culture keeps shifting through the process of defining,

developing and specifying what does or does not belong to that specific culture.

Laermans (2002: p. 24) states that culture and communication relate as if they were two

sides of a coin; without communication no social or shared culture, without culture nocommunication.

Communication keeps redefining the culture, without communication the shared element

individualizes, the relating social group falls apart, and their culture stops to exist.

Sender (cultural) message Receiver

Cultural filter Cultural filter

Cultural filter Cultural filter

Receiver (cultural) message Sender

Choice of conduct

Interpretation

Perception

Perception

Interpretation

Choice of conduct


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Williams (Storey, 2006: p. 39) on the continual state of a culture and its time-related

aspect, states:

The traditional culture of a society will always tend to correspond to its contemporary

system of interests and values, for it is not an absolute body of work but a continualselection and interpretation.

It is essential to define the timeframe of the 1980s/early 1990s and the sudden rise of

contemporary dance in Belgium in as the setting for this essay.

Thus far, the shared and time-related character of culture is referred to. The etymological

origin of the word culture is explained by Hendrix (1989: p.75); the term culture is

derivative of the Latin colere, which means to cultivate, to tend, to raise. Cultura,according to Hendrix, means to cultivate the ground, the foundation, and the term

culture is used in the sense of cultivating the mind.

The word culture has a nurturing and nourishing quality. Numerous facets of culture are

taught in manifold ways by and through education, society, family and/or peers.

Comparing definitions of culture, Williams (Storey, 2006: p. 1 - 2) suggests three broad

definitions:

First, culture can be used to refer to a general process of intellectual, spiritual andaesthetic development. () A second use of the word culture might suggest aparticular way of life, whether of a people, a period or a group. () Finally, Williamssuggests that culture can be used to refer to the works and practices of intellectualand especially artistic activity. In other words, those texts and practices whoseprincipal function is to signify, to produce or to be the occasion for the production ofmeaning.

Considering the first implication, the developmental nature of the process of culture is

specified to be in the intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic area, as Hendrix suggests

cultivating the mind. The broadness of this definition makes it unsuited for this essay. In

the second definition the accent is placed on the people, period or (social) group which

form the culture. As we previously noted the shared and time-related character of culture

it is always critical to define a timeframe and sociological frame (to whom does the

culture relate) when researching cultural aspects.


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The third definition particularly includes artistic activity and stresses the function of

signifying, producing or being the occasion of production of meaning. For this paper the

third definition is of importance.

Geertzs definition of culture in The interpretation of Cultures: selected essays (1973:

130) particularizes the train of thought of the third definition:

Culture is a system of symbols thanks to which human beings confer a meaning oftheir own experience. Systems of symbols, created by people, shared, conventional,ordered and obviously learned, furnish them with an intelligible setting for orientingthemselves in relation to others or in relation to a living work and to themselves.

Following this explanation people are able to make sense of their own experience thanks

to culture. Culture provides the social framework in which personal experience can be

regarded, weighed and related to. Adding to that, in the togetherness of trying to make

sense, in the attempt to create a shared meaning, lies the essence of culture.

Conclusively, culture can be considered a shared, time-specific effort on an intellectual,

spiritual and aesthetic level within a social group to establish significance and meaning of

experiences through a collective belief in and/or notion of norms and values and a

related, specific sign system. Culture can be considered a collective decoding system (of

signs) through which personal experience can be viewed.


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1.2 Dance and culture

Fraleigh (1987: p.43) states that: Dance is an aesthetic expression of the body.

Following the conclusion that culture expresses and represents beliefs and values on

various levels, including the aesthetic, dance can definitely be regarded as cultural

means of expression, representing a certain view of the related choreographer.

Dance, viewed as a (socio-)cultural means of expression leads to the assumption that

dance is a sign system through which a specific social group manifests themselves.

Dance can be regarded as a non-verbal sign system which can be read as a text which

might form an occasion at which to give meaning.

Laermans (2002: p. 27) explains that every non-lingual medium can be surveyed as a

collection of free and fixed signs. When creating movement or dance we draw on those

non-lingual signs and create an interpretation, in the form of a new, non-lingual text, of

the world around us, of ourselves or of one or more already existing interpretations. Each

cultural group relates to such texts or in the case of dance performances or

choreographies with their own culturally guided appreciation. For, culture has in itself an

assessing, evaluating character. Each cultural group reflects through their own culturally

imposed value systems.

Examining the aspect of the body or bodily (non-lingual) text as signifying system,

Desmond (Carter, 1998: p. 154) pleads:

By enlarging our studies of bodily texts to include dance in all of its forms () wecan further our understanding of how social identities are signalled, formed andnegotiated through bodily movement. We can analyse how social identities arecodified in performance styles and how the use of the body in dance is related to,duplicates, contests, amplifies, or exceeds norms of non-dance bodily expressionwithin the historical context.

Agreeing that dance exists of movements and can be seen as a bodily text a sign

system which can communicate Desmonds argument brings up interesting questions:

How are social identities signalled, formed and negotiated through bodily movement and

codified in performance styles?

If culture is always formed, experienced and shared by a group, that group should be able

to identify its members and be identified as a social group.


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In accordance with the social theory in psychology, as indicated by the Australian National

University (2005), to be able to compose a social identity a person has to be able to:

- classify a certain social group,- identify with the social group and weigh and- compare the selected social group to other social groups.

Social identity is a major tool in confirming to which social group and culture one belongs.

A great deal of a social identity, and therefore culture, is formed by physicality (stance,

tonus, muscular tension, posture), bodily movement, gestures and corporal behaviour.

Polhemus (Carter, 1998: p.173) argues that culture primarily exists of physical aspects:

()in so far as an individuals first and most rudimentary experience of his or hersociety is via bodily manipulation and physical education in the broadest sense,the deepest and most fundamental foundations of being a member of a particularsociety are inevitably corporal. Muscular tonus, stance, basic movement styles,gestures and so forth once learned are, like any physical activity, remarkablyresistant to change and constitute not only the essential component of personalidentity but of social and cultural identity as well. Furthermore, movement andother physical styles are in any society imbued with symbolic meaning with theresult that how we use and move our bodies is inevitably the occasion for thetransmission of all sorts and various levels of socio-cultural information including,most importantly, those meanings which exceed the limits of verbal language (see

Polhemus 1987). At its core, therefore, culture not only includes a physicaldimension, it is a physical style system which signifies (embodies) what it meansto be a member of a particular society.

As Polhemus states, corporal behaviour is an essential component in forming culture -

and social identity - which exceeds the limits of verbal language. Physical behaviour and

movement are a crucial part of social identity and culture once they are seen as a non-

lingual sign system. Though the physical and movement components of culture are often

disregarded, the idea that the physical and movement aspect would be excluded, or not

taken into account, from culture is preposterous. Physical behaviour and gestures are

considered as signs, as messages, as communication (hence the expression body

language) and are culturally defined. The physical dimension - elements such as physical

tension, gesticulation, basic movements, locomotion and posture - as Polhemus puts it, is

fundamental and can be regarded as the embodiment of culture.


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The appropriateness of Desmonds questions on how social identities are signalled,

formed and negotiated through bodily movement are relevant when taking into account

that bodily movement is also a social sign system.

Wieschiolek (Dyck and Archetti, 2003: p.115) declares:

To understand the nature of the connection between dance and society one has tobe aware of the fact that dance, and even single movements, are always shapedby culture. As Ted Polhemus argues, culture in its broadest sense is embodied inthe form of physical culture and this in turn is stylized and schematized in the formof dance (Polhemus 1993: 4-11; Brownell 2000:51).

Since human beings are physical beings and the previous described physical dimension

is undividable from the actual person, a persons physical manifestation will always beseen as a major indicator of his or her identity. It is problematical to make a clear cut

distinction between an identity and a culture. Movement and dance are always attached

to the body performing the movement and consequently make a representation relating

to social identity and culture. Laermans and Meulders (2004) assert:

where the body is, is always another dimension: personality, character,individuality, in short, soul.

Named aspects represent qualities which form identity. Dance, in the sense of a form of

expression through bodies since the material of the dance artist is invisible without the

medium of the body is consequently always involved with embodying identities.

Dance, according to Polhemus (Carter, 1998: p.174) might be seen as a schema, an

abstraction or stylizing of physical culture. When viewing theatre dance, movement

vocabulary might be considered as an abstraction, a codification of bodily movement, as

a stylized non-verbal sign system.

In theatre dance a conscious choice is made by the choreographer for a specific

movement vocabulary, which helps distinguish the resulting, created social identity and

as a result generates culture. Grau and Jordan (2000: p. 4) imply that:

The arts, including dance, can reflect, reinforce, prompt, challenge

as well as be appropriated in the quest for identity.


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Dance, embodying identity through the use of bodies and movement vocabulary, also

puts forth a specific context, a grammar in which the bodies and movements are

presented through the choice of the choreographers in creating the choreography.

Choreography of contemporary dance is a mode of rephrasing personal experience.

Contemporary dance as performance embodies particular identities, ideas and

viewpoints on stage, which comment and reflect on society and shape experience. At the

end of the twentieth century a raise of interest occurred in the contextual approach of

performance.

As Philip Zarilli observed: performance as a mode of cultural action is not asimple reflection of some essentialized, fixed attributes of a static, monolithic

culture but an arena for the constant process of renegotiating experiences andmeanings that constitute culture. (Carlson, 2003: p.179)

Considering Carlsons view in line with Williams notion of the continual selection and

interpretation that culture makes of the contemporarysystem of interests and values, the

conclusion can be made that culture is no fixed phenomenon, but a representation of the

as essential experienced intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic beliefs and values of a social

group within a certain time frame. Dance as performing art has the means to act as a

communication or sign system which can represent the explicit view of a choreographer

and can construct and represent particular views on identity and culture.

Art gives the perceiver the freedom of personal experience and meaning/sense making.

Through performance - viewed as communication between creator, performer and

receiver - renegotiation of the contemporary system of interests and values can take

place, signs can be communicated and fine tuning of a culture might take place.

The next chapter will investigate how Belgian and Flemish cultural context influenced

contemporary dance of the 1980s and 90s, with specific attention for the work of De

Keersmaeker and Vandekeybus. How did the cultural context frame the so-called Flemish

dance wave?


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Chapter 2: Flemish featuresChapter 2: Flemish featuresChapter 2: Flemish featuresChapter 2: Flemish features

2.1 Belgium and Flanders

The European country of Belgium exists of two major language communities: the French-

speaking Walloon region and the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders. Both regions are

governed in federal form since the last twenty-five years and have their own federal

governments which decide on and form the regions distinct policies.

According to Heylighen (1998), next to shared cultural aspects, the citizens of the regions

supposedly bear a resemblance to their neighbouring cultures: the Flemish are closer to

the more disciplined, Northern European, Germanic culture, and the Walloon to the more

life-enjoying, Mediterranean, Latin culture. Since the use of language is a major factor in

defining ones identity, it is an obvious and geographically logical conclusion that the

Dutch-speaking region would be considered to have Northern characteristics and the

French-speaking region would have Southern characteristics.

Brussels forms the third major region: the Brussels-Capital region. Even though Brussels

is located amidst Flemish territories, the inhabitants of Brussels are mainly French-

speaking. Because of the shared character of the capital city none of the regions is

prepared to give up ownership. The population of Belgiums first city are therefore often

regarded as Belgians.

Although there have been serious political conflicts between the Walloon and Flemish

legislators, the inhabitants of the different regions have hardly ever taken out their

differences in conflicts which ended in serious injuring or killing.


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2.2 Belgian cultural context of contemporary dance

Up to the 1980s concert dance in Belgium primarily consisted of classical ballet

performances by the Royal Ballet of Flanders (mostly traditional repertoire) and Walloon

Ballet which both operated in their own region and, the modern ballet performances

of Bjarts Ballet du XXe sicle.

When considering education as taught culture it is important to realize that there was no

institutionalisation of contemporary dance in Belgium before the opening of Bjarts

Mudra school in 1970, which was affiliated to the La Monnaie/de Munt theatre in

Brussels. The Mudra school educated, amongst others, the choreographers Maguy Marin

and De Keersmaeker. The forming of a new breed of dance artists was one of the main

goals; classes such as yoga, musical analyses and theatre were featured on the

programme.

The predominant ballet tradition and the presence of Bjart left no room for

contemporary dance in the 1970s and early 80s within the theatre setting. The Royal

Ballet of Flanders, the Walloon Ballet and Bjarts Ballet of the XXth century were the only

dance companies to be officially recognized and funded by the Belgium government.

The 1980s in Belgium, according to Jans (1999: p.7) and Mallems (Lambrechts, Van

Kerkhoven & Verstockt, 1996: p.124) were characterized by an artistic vitality of a

generation of young theatre makers who sought to create outside of the existing

structures and set new standards for production norms. Two characteristics of this

generation are the overlapping of genre and interdisciplinarity. Other aspects are the

perception and presentation of the body and the fact that not every choreographer (for

example Fabre and Vandekeybus) had a traditional dance education.

As there was no platform for contemporary or avant-garde dance and theatre, the

government and critics did not regard contemporary dance as a serious issue. Because

the ballet companies consumed all the subsidies it was necessary for the contemporary

artists to find another means of funding. Often international collaborations were formed

with production houses or festivals in Germany and Holland to finance new work.

Since the contemporary dance productions were not in line with the ballet tradition, they

struggled to find a stage.


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The sudden appearance of young blood in the dance and theatre circuit with the urge to

create, but no platforms to present the productions, found their way to the festival circuit

in the mid-eighties. Dance festivals were created nationally at which the already

recognized and renowned American (post)modern dance was presented, by people such

as Cunningham, Brown and Paxton. Programming the young Belgian artists along side the

acknowledged international choreographies and choreographers meant that the Belgian

choreographers rubbed shoulders with the established dance circuit.

The festivals Klapstuk, Kaaitheaterfestival and De Beweegingwere initiated to create a

platform for new and upcoming artists in the contemporary dance scene and to stage the

international top productions within Belgian theatre circuit and dance field. The festivals

were held in Leuven, Antwerp and the Dutch-speaking part of Brussels. At these festivals

the Belgian productions were weighed against the established international

contemporary dance scene and stood their ground. The receptors of the productions -

audience, critics, government recognized the characteristics and features of the

American modern dance in the works of the Belgian artists. However, a much appreciated

originality and authenticity was apparent in the Belgian productions. The importance of

the dance festivals for the development of the Belgian contemporary dance scene is

thoroughly explained in Dans in Vlaanderen (1996). According to Laermans and Gielen

(2000:p. 20) the Flemish dance festivals can be considered an affective mediation

between the world of Flemish dance and the rest of the world and the practise of co-

production, an essential way of working at the festivals, lead to anchorage in international

networks.

With the founding of the magazine about theatre Etcetera in January 1983, a new

mouthpiece was created to critically frame the dance and theatre productions. In

different writings by Laermans (2000, 2002) Etcetera is credited to be one of the major

instigators of the use of the term Belgian wave. For the Flemish wave expression was

mainly busied in critical writings on dance performances by De Keersmaeker, Fabre,

Vandekeybus and Platel. The festivals and the appreciative writings in Etcetera were the

most important vehicles to ensure the artistic accreditation of the young Belgian

choreographers.


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According to texts by Laermans and Gielen (2000) the official recognition of artistic

products, an attempt to qualify, relies on different aspects relating to the artist and the

product, namely:

- the context of the artist and artistic product- the education of the artist- the international appreciation of the artist and work (tours)- the written (critical) commentaries on the artist and work (also depending on the

significance ascribed to the writer/critic and the medium in which the writing is

placed)

- the platforms (theatres, stages, festivals) where the artist / work is displayed andtheir symbolic value

- international prevalence

When a new phenomenon has to be rated or qualified, the lack of knowledge regarding

standards imposes a problem for the fairly ignorant authority. Often a quality scaling or

benchmarking in such a situation is dependent on references the artist, the work and the

critics make. Those references, to for example existing works of art, create a relation to a

specific artwork and its relating structure of evaluation. The evaluator relates to the made

references as uses these references to create standards.

Drawing on the theories of Bourdieu, Laermans and Gielen (2000: p.61 - 63) label this

process as artistic reference logic; examining the use of references in the academic

world; if an academic text uses citations of acknowledges texts, it becomes harder to

overthrow. By seeing dance as a non-lingual sign system, by using elements of the

accredited American modern dance, such as pedestrian movements or repetitive

structures, the reference to a credited form of dance, not yet recognized in Belgium at the

time, made use of the principle ofartistic referencing logic. Anyone denying contemporary

dance in Belgium and its related artists would, through the power of reference logic, deny

the whole internationally renowned contemporary dance scene. By using references to

accredited choreographies and choreographers in their works, the Belgian artists made

use of symbolic amplification and created a relation to the American modern dance

scene, and with that relation, standards.


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These references, for instance movement style and structure of the choreographies,

made it possible for the audience to recognize key elements, classifying the new dance

as contemporary dance. With this recognition it was possible for the audience to identify

resembling and differencing features of the Belgian artists and works, a difference being

the instantaneousness, physical energy and embodiment. In addition to the recognized

features, these distinctions made the Belgian choreographers authentic and socially

validated. In Belgium the social confirmation of contemporary dance was institutionalised

in the form of an advising council of dance, the Raad Advies Dans, whose members were

experts such as dance critics, dance programmers and dance festival directors.

By identifying and creating standards and achieving social confirmation of contemporary

dance in Belgium through the artistic reference logic a symbolic capital is created. Bysetting a benchmark it is then possible to value the artistic product within the own, new-

found system and on an international level. Since the Belgian productions were often

positively mentioned alongside the famous American names, the reputation of the

Belgian artists increased. As Laermans and Gielen (2000: p. 20) suggest, the borrowed

symbolic capital, the references made to and the framing of productions together with

works of for example Cunningham and Childs, the aura rubbed off on the Belgian works.

Different prizes and international awards were presented to the Belgian choreographers.

Both Vandekeybus and De Keersmaeker received the prestigious New York Dance and

Performance Bessie award twice.

The government started to realise that contemporary dance formed an autonomous

dance scene with various talented makers, whose names were related to quality products

of internationally renowned choreographers, theatres and production houses. The

international recognition of Belgian dance made a culturally valuable product (symbolic

capital), cherished by the government. To demonstrate how much the works of De

Keersmaeker are appreciated, as mentioned at the Rosas website, different awards,

ranks and honorary titles are granted to her.

In June 1995, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa atthe VUB (Flemish University in Brussels). In March 1996 the government of the provinceof Antwerp awarded her the Eugne Baie prize, and in May 2000 she was awarded by theFrench Republic the Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres title. In 2002 she receivedthe annual award of the Gabriella Moortgat Stichting and la mdaille de Vermeil from the

City of Paris and a medal ('Erepenning') of the Belgian Flemish government. In 2004 shewas awarded the "Keizer Karelprijs" from the province of Oost Vlaanderen.


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2.3 Flemish dance wave

The rise and accreditation of contemporary dance in Belgium in the 1980s primarily took

part in the Flanders region. The establishing ofEtcetera magazine and the various dance

festivals and the vigorous effort of the artists to create and collaborate on international

level distinguished the Flemish artists. Grau and Jordan (2000: p 7) notice that,

no one would deny the importance in recent years of the Flemish phenomenonand that it was an apt illustration of the fact that, on occasions, the regional ismore significant culturally than the national in terms of identity.

Because of the silence on contemporary dance artists in the Walloon region in the 1980s

and the clear distinction of the Belgian regions, the regional, as an autonomous federal

state within a country, is more apparent in this case.

In the 1980s both the expressions Belgian and Flemish dance wave were used.

However, during the use of the term the specification of the Flemish character occurred.

The regional character, the Flemish prevailed over the national quality. But how was this

so-called dance wave specifically Flemish, in stead of Belgian?

Geographically, the dance festivals were located in Leuven and Antwerp, both Flemish

cities, and Brussels, the Brussels-Capital or shared region. The dance festivals, alongside

the dance presentations, often featured extra curricular dance related activities

supported and frequented by members of the universities and academic circuit of the

cities. The theatres of Leuven, Antwerp and Brussels embraced and programmed

contemporary choreographies. The contemporary dance circuit was located in the

Flanders region.

Second, the main communication on contemporary dance happened in the Dutch-

speaking segment of Belgium. Most related choreographers were Dutch-speaking (De

Keersmaeker, Fabre, Vandekeybus, Platel), as was the leading magazine Etcetera. If

speaking Dutch is considered a condition of being Flemish, this strengthens the

argument of a Flemish dance wave. Although the Flemish and Dutch are neighbours and

share the use of a language, there seems to be a choreographic distinction in the

produced works. The research of similarities and distinctions between Flemish and Dutch

choreographic works is interesting, but too big a subject to look into for this essay.


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Are location and language enough to frame this phenomenon as Flemish? From the

international perspective, yes. It is undeniable that the choreographers were inhabitants

of Flanders and operated there. But this conclusion does not satisfy the question of the

cultural aspect of the Flemish phenomenon.

Verstraete (Baetens & Verstraete, 2002 : p. 16), drawing on Hall, acknowledges that

cultural identities are loose points of identification, formed within historical and cultural

context, which are not an essence but a positioning.

Because cultural and social identities are a result of categorization, identification and

comparison, of positioning within a context, the previous statement is of great

importance. As culture is no fixed asset but a meandering process, so have cultural and

social identities a temporal character. When culture is regarded as communication, the

communicating partners position themselves and give their opinion on the subject

matter. Since the traditional form of theatre dance in Belgium, ballet, was countered by

the positioning of choreographers within the contemporary dance scene, it instigated a

vigorous cultural change. The choice for contemporary dance can be seen as a reaction,

a revolution to the dominating dance style. When evolution is considered as a pendulum

swing between the dominant and the subordinate culture, as in Gramscis hegemony

theory (Storey, 2006: pp. 63-65) one could consider the 1980s in Belgium as the swing

from the dominant ballet tradition to the contrasts of the contemporary dance scene.

That the contemporary dance scene in Belgium was a contrast cannot be denied. The

pedestrian movements and use of everyday gestures contrasted the upright and

controlled ballet vocabulary. The physical energy, the drive, the urge of movement and

sometimes brutal physicality of Vandekeybus, the minimalist and structured approach of

De Keersmaeker and the relentlessness of Fabres works differed from the known ballet

tradition.

Can there be a deduction of a general social identity or cultural feature in the Flemish

contemporary dance?

If individual approach can be seen as a general feature, this would apply to the Flemish

choreographers. The personal trajectories of the Flemish choreographers indicate their

positioning towards social identities.


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Of De Keersmaeker can be said that in her starting period she mostly used female

dancers, dressed in loosely fitting daily clothes, skirts and tops with sturdy shoes and

open hair. Her movement vocabulary consisted of everyday gestures such as adjusting

clothes, brushing the hair out of the face and playfully shared looks of the dancers

amongst each other. Her in-depth analyses of the music made sure that a fusing of

choreography and music to a complementing whole happened. Her typical structures and

repetition in the composition of her choreographies were characteristic.

But mostly the definition of the use of the body, the momentum and timing of movements

and the reshaping of the female dancer as a powerful, dynamic and strong being

identified the works of De Keersmaeker. As typically Flemish, and time related, the

physical appearances; the hairdo, the clothes and the unpretentiousness of the dance

can be suggested. For references to the major works of the discussed period also see

Appendix A. For critical analyses of the productions also see Kritisch Theater Lexicon 9E:

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker(1998) by Kerkhoven and Laermans.

The key concepts of his Vandekeybus work, as indicated by Jans (1999: pp. 8 - 16), are

relating to a passion for movement, energy and eroticism: the body as the ultimate

reference of dance, physical and mental aggression, a return to real movement, the

body in free fall, delivered up to forces it can no longer control, given over to reality,

power, energy, trust in instinctive (animal) reactions, dramatisation of danger, risk, the

body as a platform for tension, threat, chance, impulsivity, suppleness and calculation, all

at the same time. The importance of the instincts of the body and its movement solutions

feature in Vandekeybus version of contemporary dance. For references to the major

works of the discussed period also see Appendix B. For critical analyses of the

productions also see Jans (1999) Kritisch Theater Lexicon 11 E: Wim Vandekeybus.

A difference between De Keersmaeker and Vandekeybus is the measure in which the raw

physicality emerges. However, physicality is a recognizable characteristic of the Flemish

dance wave. The urge to move, again in different gradations, is a shared feature in the

Flemish dance works. But is that sufficient to define and generalize the four major

Flemish choreographers of the 1980s and early 90s De Keersmaeker, Fabre,

Vandekeybus and Platel - as a Flemish dance wave?


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Laermans and Gielen (Grau and Jordan, 2000: pp. 21 22) dispute the use of the term

Flemish dance wave, stating that the term Flemish dance wave implies a highly

diversified dance field, which is not lived up to, considering there are only four major

choreographers, in other words, the number of participants does not justify the

insinuation of a wave.

Agreeing that a wave symbolizes a flooding of the dance circuit, which might be an

exaggeration considering the number of choreographers, it is a fact that the sudden rise

of contemporary dance in Flanders complete with the supporting activities such as the

festivals and Etcetera magazine occurred rather unexpectedly and on a large,

internationally noted and appreciated scale. Maybe the fact that the rise of activity in

contemporary dance was noted internationally from the start explains the given that the

so-called dance wave was labelled as Flemish or Belgian, because of the international

framing. Disregarding the numberof participants, the contribution the Flemish artists

made to the contemporary dance circuit was prominent.

A point of critique can also be that choreographers work with foreign dancers. The

dancers of both Rosas and Ultima Vez were internationally trained and of different

geographical origins (Flemish and other). But the choreographer has the final

responsibility over the choreography and chooses, arranges and decides on the content

of the performance. Dancers, within the comparison of dance as a non-lingual medium,

can be regarded the font of the particular sign system. Within the Flemish dance wave

the choreographer, the writer is considered one of the major elements that make the

works typically Flemish. The dancers origins are disregarded.

Another comment Laermans and Gielen make concerns

() the implicit assumption that the Flemish dance wave has something to do

with Flanders and that the associated artists share a common identity. Actually,most Flemish in the sense of Dutch-speaking choreographers work withforeign dancers. And yet, creations by De Keersmaeker, Fabre or Platel areassigned a regional identity with remarkable regularity. Does this mean theirproductions contain a specific artistic identity that is perfectly in step with theFlemish culture?

If, following this reasoning, the concept of a homogenous Flemish culture is considered

senseless, is therefore the attribution of a dance wave to Flanders also irrational?


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Conclusion: the emperorConclusion: the emperorConclusion: the emperorConclusion: the emperors new clothess new clothess new clothess new clothes

Apart from the geographical and lingual aspect defining the Flemish choreographers as

Flemish, can their work be explicitly culturally framed as Flemish?

It is striking that the loudest protest on the Flemish dance wave as representative of a

Flemish artistic identity comes from Flemish critics. One challenge to the term is Van

Assches (Goris, 1997: p. 275) conclusion that Flemish dance is hardly an accurate term,

because nationality is of no great significance in the world of dance.

A prominent feature of the Flemish wave is indeed the level of international collaboration,

initially intended to get the dance productions financed. Another known given is that

choreographers work with an international cast of dancers, adding to the international

character. Next to that, most Flemish choreographers spend sometime abroad to study

the international dance landscape.

Consequently, it would be impossible to define the work of each choreographer as purely

Flemish. In the world of dance it is customary to have an international gaze and be

influenced by worldwide activities. The Flemish dance wave rubbed shoulders with the

international productions on the dance festivals and in collaborations with foreign

production houses. The accreditation of Flemish contemporary dance was based on the

recognition of the key features of American (post)modern dance.

Following this reasoning it is plain to see that there can be no such thing as a purely

Flemish Flemish dance wave.

However, if social identity is a matter of defining

- category: region of Flanders

- identity: contemporary dance, structure and pattern, repetition, pedestrian

movements

- comparison: physicality, uninhibited energy, the freedom of Belgian dance in

which drive takes over

in the comparison identifying Flemish features are found.


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When following the reasoning of Kershaw (Goodman & de Gay, 2000: p. 137) that:

()performance is about the transaction of meaning, a continuous negotiationbetween stage and auditorium to establish the significance of the signs andconventions through which they interact.

The individual right of choreographers to shape their (re)negotiation of experiences and

therewith culture and the transaction of their vision to the audience makes dance

communication. The fact that communication, through the sign system of contemporary

dance, happens within the Flemish cultural context, identifies it as Flemish. Dance as a

socio-cultural means of expression definitely can be seen as communication. As seen in

figure 1 (page 5), when culture is viewed as communication, perception, interpretation

and choice of conduct come into play. Realizing that, the wish to either define or deny the

phenomenon of the Flemish dance wave will colour the perception and give direction to

interpretation and choice of conduct.

Laermans and Gielen (Grau and Jordan, 2000: p. 22) state:

Of course, one cannot deny the fact that some Flemish dance productionsresemble each other insome respects. But these similarities do not automaticallypoint towards a common cultural or aesthetic identity. To assume the existence ofsuch an essence is to forget the necessarily selective construction made by thereader. Indeed, to stress the similarities over the differences between artistictexts is a matter of choice, a contingent reading.

Consequently, when tried it is possible to find as much comparing elements as there are

differences between the partakers of the Flemish dance wave. Concerning geographical

and lingual aspects the Flemish wave is undeniably Flemish. There are identifiable

general features such as physicality and embodiment of dance vocabulary shared by the

Flemish choreographers, but worked out in different ways. Then again, if researched,

similarity and differences could be demonstrated. The wish for or against the existence of

a Flemish dance wave can be compared with the emperors new clothes. Those who

believe will find evidence to prove the existence, those who do not believe will find the

confirmation of their beliefs.


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Culture is hybrid and therefore impossible to outline with perfect clarity. Since every

person is part of different social groups which form and experience culture within their

own vision, no one definitive shared culture, and therewith cultural identity, exists.

Overlapping of cultural elements and sharing of viewpoints within different social groups,

or even the partaking of an individual within different social groups and cultural

experiences, create a personal experience of culture. The greater the generalisation of

the culture/cultural group, the less specific the identifying features will become.

Conclusively, the Flemish dance wave did exist, if only by the fact that the partaking

choreographers were born and working in Flanders. General cultural features can be

identified and appointed to the Flemish dance wave, as well as can differences among

the partaking choreographers can be noticed. The concept of a Flemish artistic identity

generalizes this identity, which does not contribute to the particularity of the artistic

explicitness, individuality and authenticity of the choreographers.

Further research considering the Flemish dance scene can follow the suggestions of

Frosch (Fraleigh and Hanstein, 1999: p. 250), taking the contextual approach to

researching dance:

1. To define approaches to the study of dance in culture on its own terms,examining what and howdance means in relation to the context of which it is apart.2. to examine performance traditions as expressions of values and ways ofknowing3. to investigate how performance constructs and mediates societal notions ofgender, status, spirituality, and agency4. to explore the interplay of ethics and aesthetics in performance and society

Important to realize, when considering further investigation on this subject, is the wish to

either confirm or deny the phenomenon of the Flemish dance wave and the reason to do

so.


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BibliographyBibliographyBibliographyBibliography

Baetens, Jan and Verstraete, Ginette (eds) (2002) Cultural Studies, een inleiding

(Nijmegen: Uitgeverij Vantilt)

Brabandere, Adri de (1997) Kritisch Theater Lexicon 10: Jan Fabre (Brussel: Vlaams

Theater Instituut vzw/ Ann Olaerts)

Carlson, Marvin (2003) Performance, A Critical Introduction (second edition) (London and

New York: Routledge)

Carter, Alexandra (ed) (1998) The Routledge Dance Studies Reader(London and New

York: Routledge) Chapter 18: Embodying difference: issues in dance and cultural studies

by Desmond, Jane C., pp.154 162 and Chapter 20: Dance, gender and culture by

Polhemus, Ted, pp. 171 179

Counsell, Colin and Wolf, Laurie (eds) (2001) Performance analysis: an introductory

course book(London and New York: Routledge), pp 1 -11

Dyck, Noel (2003) Sport, Dance and Embodied Identities (Oxford: Berg Publishers Ltd)

Goris, J.A (1996) The Low Countries: Art and Society in Flanders and the Netherlands

(Rekhem: Stichting Ons Erfdeel)

Grau, Andre and Jordan, Stephanie (eds) (2000) Europe Dancing, perspectives on

theatre dance and cultural identity(London and New York: Routledge) Chapter 2:

Flanders: Constructing identities: the case of the Flemish dance wave by Laermans,

Rudi and Gielen, Pascal, pp. 12 - 27

Hendrix, Harry (1989) Werkboek Sociologie (Baarn: Uitgeverij H. Nelissen) Chapter 6:

Kultuur, pp.74 98


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Fraleigh, Sondra Horton and Hanstein, Penelope (eds) (1999) Researching Dance

(London: Dance Books Ltd) Chapter 9: Dance Ethnography: Tracing the Weave of Dance

in the Fabric of Culture by Frosch, Joan D., pp. 249 280 and Chapter 12: Cultural

Diversity and Dance History Research by Perpener III, John O., pp.334 351

Jans, Erwin (1999) Kritisch Theater Lexicon 11 E: Wim Vandekeybus (Brussel: Vlaams

Theater Instituut vzw/ Klaas Tindemans)

Kerkhoven, Marianne van and Laermans, Rudi (1998) Kritisch Theater Lexicon 9 E: Anne

Teresa De Keersmaeker(Brussel: Vlaams Theater Instituut vzw/ Klaas Tindemans)

Lambrechts, An-Marie, Van Kerkhoven, Marianne and Verstockt, Katie (eds) (1996) Dans

in Vlaanderen (Brugge: Stichting Kunstboek BVBA)

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Brussel: Uitgeverij Lannoo nv/ het Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap,

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(Maastricht: Transferpunt Vaardigheidsonderwijs), p. 13

Storey, John (2006) Cultural Theory and popular culture: A Reader(Harlow/Prentice hall:

Pearson Education Limited)

Storey, John (2006) Cultural Theory and popular culture: An introduction

(Harlow/Prentice hall: Pearson Education Limited)


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Articles and MagazinesArticles and MagazinesArticles and MagazinesArticles and Magazines

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Debelder, Steven (2006) Een schets van de Vlaams/Brusselse internationale

hedendaagse dans in Tweemaandelijks tijdschrift van het Vlaams cultuurhuis De Brakke

Grond, KATERN N3: Het danslandschap in Vlaanderen - Bijlage bij achtergrond jan/feb

2006 (Amsterdam & Brussel, Leen Laconte/De Brakke Grond) pp. 2 - 3

Embrechts, Annette (2006) Structuralist, vormfetisjist, perfectionist Anne Teresa De

Keersmaekerin DANS, April 2006, 24th year nr 2 (Werkendam: Drukkerij Damen B.V) p.

6 8

Gielen, Pascal and Laermans, Rudi (2000) Dansbeleid en kunsttheorie: een aanzet tot

een symmetrische kunstsociologie in the Tijdschrift voor sociologie, jaargang 2000,

volume 31, nummer 1, artikel 3

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Laermans, Rudi and Meulders, Carine (2004) Het lichaam is de voorstelling, wat ons

interesseert in hedendaagse dans in Etcetera, june 2004 (Brussel:TWI Kanunnik Triest

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Internet sources:Internet sources:Internet sources:Internet sources:

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2006)

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www.rosas.be

www.ultimavez.com


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AppendixAppendixAppendixAppendix AAAA

Chronological Dance and performing arts productions 1980 - 1997By Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker/Rosas (Kerkhoven & Laermans, 1998)

Asch

Nieuwe Workshop Brussels. 21 October 1980.

Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich.Beursschouwburg Brussels. 18 March 1982.

Rosas danst Rosas.Kaaitheaterfestival, Thtre de la Balsamine Brussels. 6 May 1983.

Elenas Aria.Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg, Brussels. 18 October 1984.

Bartk/Aantekeningen. C.B.A.-theater Brussels. 16 May 1986.

Verkommenens Ufer/Medeamaterial/Landschaft mit Argonauten (Heiner Mller).Springdance Festival, Utrecht. 4 April 1987.

Mikrokosmos. Monument/ Selbstportrt mit Reich und Riley (undChopin ist auch dabei)/ Im zart fliessender Bewegung - Quatuor No.4.Halles de Schaerbeek Brussels. 1 October 1987.

Ottone, Ottone.Halles de Schaerbeek, Brussels. 22 September 1988.

Stella.

Toneelschuur, Haarlem. 9 March 1990.

Achterland.La Monnaie opera house, Brussels. 27 November 1990.

Erts.Palais des Papes, Festival of Avignon. 30 July 1992.

Toccata.Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam. 27 June 1993.

Kinok. Rosa/Kinok/Groe Fge.

Lunatheater, KunstenfestivaldesArts, Brussels. 18 May 1994.

Amor constante ms all de la muerte.Koninklijk Circus, Brussels. 30 November 1994.

Erwartung/Verklrte Nacht/Begleitmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene.La Monnaie opera house, Brussels. 4 November 1995.

Woud. Three movements to the music of Berg, Schnberg & Wagner.Teatro Central, Sevilla, Spain. 19 December 1996.

Solo for Vincent.

Spring Dance Festival, Utrecht. 20 April 1997.


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Flemish features

AppendixAppendixAppendixAppendix BBBB

Chronological Dance and performing arts productions 1987 - 1997By Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima Vez (Jans, 1999)

1987

What the Body Does Not Remember.

1989Les porteuses de mauvaises nouvelles.

1990The Weight of a Hand. Concept: Thierry De Mey, Wim Vandekeybus.Choreography and direction: Wim Vandekeybus.

1990Roseland (video). Direction: Walter Verdin, Wim Vandekeybus, Octavio Iturbe

1991Immer das Selbe gelogen.

1992La Mentira (video). Direction: Walter Verdin, Wim Vandekeybus.

1993Her Body Doesnt Fit Her Soul.

1993Elba and Federico (film). Direction: Wim Vandekeybus.

1994Mountains Made of Barking.

1994Mountains Made of Barking(film). Direction and scenario: Wim Vandekeybus.

1995Alle Grssen decken sich zu.

1996Bereft of a Blissful Union.

1996Bereft of a Blissful Union (film). Direction and scenario: Wim Vandekeybus.

1996Exhaustion From Dreamt Love. Choreography and direction: Wim Vandekeybus.Danced and performed by: Batsheva Dance Company, Israel. Guest choreography.

19977 for a Secret never to be told.

1997Body, body on the wall... , a solo directed by Jan Fabre.

Performed by: Wim Vandekeybus.

Documents

Flemish Features