A group of people, alive, driven, rhythmic and fiery. The urge to create, the power of persuasion, charisma. Drive brings change. They move around a transition point in pulsating waves, building up to the extreme. Obsession, destructive, damage. Bodies bound by personal passion and focus. A protective feeling that creates its own freedom. A loving, summoning cry.

Emotions (lust, despair, loneliness, grief, euphoria, pain) are the leitmotiv in Ann Van den Broek’s oeuvre. She couples the source of these emotions to a specific rhythmicity. In The Red Piece, Ann Van den Broek sets off from a rhythmicity that conjures emotions.
The Red Piece is a dynamic and fiery group choreography. Point of departure is the passion contained in every emotion, how passion can smolder and the moment it spontaneously combusts into flames. There is a driving, pulsating, fundamental energy present that leads to individual outbursts and explosions, related or unrelated to one another.

Van den Broek is working with the Belgian band Dez Mona to create the music composition. One can hear pure passion, in various tones, in the extraordinary voice of Gregory Frateur. In addition the composition is enhanced and influenced by the live sounds of the dancers. Movement, sound, light and setting come together to create a passionate and detailed puzzle.

The Red Piece was selected for De Nederlandse Dansdagen 2013 (Dutch Dance Festival) as one of the most important productions of the 2012/2013 season and nominated for de Dans Publiekprijs (Dance Audience Award) 2013. Davide Cocchiara received the Dans Publieksprijs for best dancer for his role in the performance.

concept and choreography Ann Van den Broek
original cast Pin-Chieh Chen, Davide Pietro Cocchiara, Jan Deboom, Andreas Kuck, Yi-Chun Liu, Francesca Monti, Ann Van den Broek
music composition Dez Mona
music adviser Arne Van Dongen
styling costumes Ann Van den Broek
advice Marc Vanrunxt
flamenco coach Clarissa Wedding-Jennes
rope lounge coach Eileen Tan
set design Ann Van den Broek, Bernie van Velzen
advice set design Niek Kortekaas
lighting design Bernie van Velzen
photography Maarten Vanden Abeele
premiere May 13, 2013, Stadschouwburg Amsterdam (NL)

The Red Piece is a co-production of WArd/waRD (NL/BE), Korzo Producties (The Hague, NL), ccBerchem (Antwerp, BE) in cooperation with Chassé Theater (Breda, NL). With financial support from the Fonds Podiumkunsten (NL), the Government of Flanders (BE) and the City of Antwerp (BE).

“The dancers are driven forward, become a well-oiled machine. Their feet drag, jump, stamp, their arms gesticulate, a smile is more like a grimace. They are isolated snapshots of feelings, without anecdotal content.”

– de Volkskrant (NL)

“The vivid, powerful esthetic and the balanced combination of movement, imagery and music make The Red Piece an excellent production.”

– Theaterkrant (NL)

“Immense power emanates from The Red Piece, the new dance piece by choreographer Ann Van den Broek. The six dancers, who try to remain standing against all odds, are real survivors.”

– Trouw (NL)

“Full of energy and oppressively intense.”

– Hannover Allgemeine Zeitung (DE)