Black. Reassuring, encompassing, safe and intimate. This black is pregnant with movement, full and empty at the same time. Powerful, layered. Bodies in chaos. Bodies in fantasy.
In The Black Piece Ann Van den Broek takes audiences on a choreographic quest to find that other black. The black that constantly attracts, demands attention, is intriguing and makes a lasting impression. A group of dancers and a cameraman take spectators into the darkness. The camera divulges and unveils what would otherwise remain unseen and unheard. But at the same time The Black Piece makes you question what you see and makes you ask yourself if what you see is real.
Images, lighting, movement, sounds, the soundscape of Arne Van Dongen, the voice of singer Gregory Frateur (Dez Mona), they all heighten the senses in The Black Piece and subvert expectations.
The Black Piece is the winner of the Dioraphte Dance Award and of the Zwaan (Swan) for the most impressive dance production of the 2014/2015 season. The Swan Award is the most prestigious Dutch dance prize presented by the Dutch Association of Theatre and Concert Hall Directors. Andreas Kuck was nominated for a Zwaan (Swan) for the most impressive achievement in dance for his contribution to the production. Moreover the production was also selected for De Nederlandse Dansdagen (Dutch Dance Festival) as one of the most important productions.
concept and choreography Ann Van den Broek
original cast Louis Combeaud, Jan Deboom, Andreas Kuck, Frauke Mariën, Francesca Monti and others
live camera/lighting design Bernie van Velzen
music Arne Van Dongen
vocal performance Gregory Frateur, recorded by Nicolas Rombouts (aka Dez Mona)
set design Ann Van den Broek, Bernie van Velzen
styling Ann Van den Broek
advice Marc Vanrunxt
photography Maarten Vanden Abeele
premiere September 19, 2014, Korzo theater, The Hague (NL)
The Black Piece is a co-production of WArd/waRD (NL/BE), Korzo Producties (The Hague, NL) and ccBerchem (Antwerp, B). With financial support from the Fonds Podiumkunsten (NL) and the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (NL).
WArd/waRD
| Date | City | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 October 2020 | The Black Piece | Shanghai (CN) | 1862 Theater – cancelled |
| 23 October 2020 | The Black Piece | Shanghai (CN) | 1862 Theater – cancelled |
| 18 October 2020 | The Black Piece | Seoul (KR) | SiDance Festival – cancelled |
| 24 March 2019 | The Black Piece | Budapest (HU) | Trafo |
| 23 March 2019 | The Black Piece | Budapest (HU) | Trafo |
| 8 November 2018 | The Black Piece | Vancouver (CA) | The Dance Center |
| 7 November 2018 | The Black Piece | Vancouver (CA) | The Dance Center |
| 6 November 2018 | The Black Piece | Vancouver (CA) | The Dance Center |
| 2 November 2018 | The Black Piece | Quebec (CA) | La Rotonde |
| 1 November 2018 | The Black Piece | Quebec (CA) | La Rotonde |
| 27 October 2018 | The Black Piece | Gaspé (CA) | Théâtre de Gaspé |
| 22 August 2017 | The Black Piece | Brussel (BE) | Les Brigittines |
| 21 August 2017 | The Black Piece | Brussel (BE) | Les Brigittines |
| 7 July 2017 | The Black Piece | Bergen op Zoom (NL) | Schouwburg De Maagd – excerpt |
| 26 June 2017 | The Black Piece | Vemetië (IT) | La Biennale di Venezia |
| 11 March 2017 | The Black Piece | Parijs (FR) | Théâtre de la Cité |
| 10 March 2017 | The Black Piece | Parijs (FR) | Théâtre de la Cité |
| 9 March 2017 | The Black Piece | Parijs (FR) | Théâtre de la Cité |
| 6 November 2016 | The Black Piece | Rome (IT) | Roma Europa |
| 5 November 2016 | The Black Piece | Rome (IT) | Roma Europa |
| 27 October 2016 | The Black Piece | Assen (NL) | Theater De Nieuwe Kolk |
| 15 October 2016 | The Black Piece | Amsterdam (NL) | Theater de Meervaart |
| 13 October 2016 | The Black Piece | Almere (NL) | Corrosia Theater, Film & Expo |
| 6 October 2016 | The Black Piece | Rotterdam (NL) | Rotterdamse Schouwburg |
| 17 September 2016 | The Black Piece | Antwerpen (BE) | Brilschanspark |
| 10 September 2016 | The Black Piece | Hannover (DE) | TANZtheater |
| 17 June 2016 | The Black Piece | Praag (CZ) | Tanec Praha Festival / Ponec |
| 16 June 2016 | The Black Piece | Praag (CZ) | Tanec Praha Festival / Ponec |
| 28 May 2016 | The Black Piece | Montreal (CA) | Festival Transamériques |
| 27 May 2016 | The Black Piece | Montreal (CA) | Festival Transamériques |
| 20 May 2016 | The Black Piece | Krakau (PL) | Kroki Festival |
| 9 May 2016 | The Black Piece | Vilnius (LT) | Vilnius Festival |
| 23 April 2016 | The Black Piece | Beveren (BE) | CC Ter Vesten |
| 22 April 2016 | The Black Piece | Purmerend (NL) | Theater De Verbeelding |
| 13 April 2016 | The Black Piece | Amsterdam (NL) | Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam |
| 5 April 2016 | The Black Piece | Antwerpen (BE) | DE Studio |
| 2 April 2016 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo |
| 9 March 2016 | The Black Piece | Geel (BE) | CC De Werft |
| 12 February 2016 | The Black Piece | Lausanne (CH) | Festival Printemps de Sévelin |
| 11 February 2016 | The Black Piece | Lausanne (CH) | Festival Printemps de Sévelin |
| 3 February 2016 | The Black Piece | Haarlem (NL) | Toneelschuur |
| 27 January 2016 | The Black Piece | Leeuwarden (NL) | Stadsschouwburg De Harmonie |
| 21 November 2015 | The Black Piece | Nijmegen (NL) | LUX |
| 20 November 2015 | The Black Piece | Leiden (NL) | Theater ins Blau |
| 2 October 2015 | The Black Piece | Maastricht (NL) | Nederlandse Dansdagen |
| 22 September 2015 | The Black Piece | Heerlen (NL) | Parkstad Limburg Theaters |
| 11 September 2015 | The Black Piece | Utrecht (NL) | Theater Kikker |
| 29 August 2015 | The Black Piece | Amsterdam (NL) | Uitmarkt |
| 22 August 2015 | The Black Piece | Biddinghuizen (NL) | Lowlands |
| 1 August 2015 | The Black Piece | Antwerpen (BE) | M HKA |
| 2 July 2015 | The Black Piece | Londen (UK) | The Barbican |
| 6 May 2015 | The Black Piece | Parijs (FR) | Theatre de Montreuil |
| 5 May 2015 | The Black Piece | Parijs (FR) | Theatre de Montreuil |
| 23 April 2015 | The Black Piece | Breda (NL) | Chassé Theater |
| 6 March 2015 | The Black Piece | Rotterdam (NL) | Rotterdamse Schouwburg |
| 8 February 2015 | The Black Piece | Rotterdam (NL) | Lantaren/Venster |
| 6 February 2015 | The Black Piece | Antwerpen (BE) | Bourla Schouwburg |
| 5 February 2015 | The Black Piece | Tilburg (NL) | De Nieuwe Vorst |
| 4 February 2015 | The Black Piece | Amsterdam (NL) | Theater Bellevue |
| 3 February 2015 | The Black Piece | Amsterdam (NL) | Theater Bellevue |
| 22 January 2015 | The Black Piece | Eindhoven (NL) | Natlab door Plaza Futura |
| 20 January 2015 | The Black Piece | Drachten (NL) | Schouwburg De Lawei |
| 15 January 2015 | The Black Piece | Zwolle (NL) | Odeon De Spiegel |
| 9 December 2014 | The Black Piece | Helmond (NL) | Theater ‘t Speelhuis |
| 29 November 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Bosch (NL) | Verkadefabriek |
| 22 November 2014 | The Black Piece | Arnhem (NL) | Schouwburg Arnhem |
| 3 November 2014 | The Black Piece | Amsterdam (NL) | Theater Bellevue |
| 14 October 2014 | The Black Piece | Haarlem (NL) | Toneelschuur |
| 10 October 2014 | The Black Piece | Utrecht (NL) | Theater Kikker |
| 9 October 2014 | The Black Piece | Utrecht (NL) | Theater Kikker |
| 8 October 2014 | The Black Piece | Groningen (NL) | Grand Theatre |
| 23 September 2014 | The Black Piece | Amsterdam (NL) | Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam |
| 20 September 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo |
| 19 September 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo – première NL |
| 18 September 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo – try-out |
| 17 September 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo – try-out |
| 16 August 2014 | The Black Piece | Venlo (NL) | Museum Van Bommel Van Dam |
| 14 June 2014 | The Black Piece | Antwerpen (BE) | ccBerchem – première BE |
| 13 June 2014 | The Black Piece | Antwerpen (BE) | ccBerchem – try-out |
| 12 June 2014 | The Black Piece | Antwerpen (BE) | ccBerchem – try-out |
| 18 May 2014 | The Black Piece | Antwerpen (BE) | ccBerchem – preview |
| 7 May 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo studio – preview |
| 30 April 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo studio – preview |
| 28 March 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo studio – preview |
| 20 March 2014 | The Black Piece | Den Haag (NL) | Korzo studio – preview |
“The Black Piece is like a dream filled with meanings that cannot be explained. It is already a highlight of the season.”
– NRC Handelsblad (NL)
“Ann Van den Broek uses pinpoints of light to make visible the tatters of five tormented lives. The chain of associations and emotions that this evokes lends an incredible depth. You want to follow everything, even that which you cannot see.”
– Jury VCSD dance prizes (NL)
“The way Van den Broek forces air between all the layers and creates an overall feeling of freedom is stunning.”
– Trouw (NL)
“Van den Broek displays the kind of sweltering and fierce movements her dance idiom includes.”
– de Volkskrant (NL)