© Rudy Carlier
Presentation Dansstroom. Amateur dancers dive into repertoire
Non-professional dancers dive into dance repertoire with an experienced coach.
The opening weekend of Body of Work – with Heritage Day on Sunday April 26 – will revolve around the presentations of Dansstroom, a project that in a unique way builds bridges between different dance genres, between amateurs and professionals, and between the present and the past. Dansstroom – a collaboration between STUK, Danspunt and CEMPER – invites five non-professional dance groups to dive into the repertoire of their own choosing, under the guidance of an experienced coach. At the end of the journey, on April 25 and 26, they will present their work at the Soetezaal in STUK.
During this very first edition of Dansstroom, this will result in an exciting evening or afternoon offering a range of classical Indian (temple) dance, classical ballet, tap dance and excerpts from the work of Alain Platel and Frank Van Laeke, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Ugo Dehaes. Young and older, from Ghent to Herk-de-Stad, gathered on one stage.
The presentation of the event will be taken up by Anke Verschueren.
Video maker Sander Tas followed the six groups and made a “making of” of their Dansstroom adventure. To be seen in the Vitrine during the entire festival, and in STUKcafé on Sunday 26.04.
PRACTICAL
Saturday 25.04 - part of the Opening Night of Body of Work 2026
➤ programme:
- 19:00 - 20:00: Dansstroom part 1: Drops of Dance & Friends / Rosa’s Goesting / Huys Arts
20:00 - 20:45: festive opening of Body of Work 2026 with a reception and speeches @ STUKcafé
- 21:00 - 22:00: Dansstroom part 2: Platform-K / Dance Images / Solemates
➤ prijs: €5 per deel (19:00 - 20:00 of 21:00 - 22:00)
Sunday 26.04
On Sunday afternoon – Heritage Day! – we present the six pieces of Dansstroom in one continuous programme, with a half-hour interval.
➤ programme:
- 15:00 - 16:00: Dansstroom part 1
- 16:00 - 16:30: pause
- 16:30 - 17:30: Dansstroom part 2
➤ price: €10
Drops of Dance & friends
Repertoire: Classical Indian temple dance Bharatanatyam - Kalakshetra style - work by Guru Adyar K. Lakshman (1933-2014)
Dance coach: Sooraj Subramaniam
Dancers: Antonia Volodina, Nayanthara Pradeep, Srimahavalli Thiyagarajan, Naisha Sanghvi
Live music: Sooraj Subramaniam (speech & cymbals), Sudarshan Iyengar (vocals) & Prathap Ramachandra (musical coaching and mridangam)
Credits photo: Sunny Jagesar
Four dancers from Mechelen, Herent and Ghent learn a work by Guru Adyar K. Lakshman (1970s) and delve deeper into the Kalakshetra style within the Bharatanatyam genre.
Rosa's Goesting
Repertoire: Ugo Dehaes - WOMEN (2011)
Dance coach: Natascha Pire
Dancers: Nele Bosmans, Isabelle Vandekerkhove, Vicky Van Roy, Katrien Delespaul, Lara Rogiers, Feiya Wang, Alessia Dal Bo & Mira Borghs
Nine dancers from Flemish Brabant who got to know each other through the Leuven danst Rosas danst Rosas project are bringing Women (2011) by Ugo Dehaes back on stage.
Huys Arts
Repertoire: Vlaemsch (chez moi) (2022) - Eastman / Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Foi (2003) - les ballets C de la B / Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Dance coaches: Jonas Vandekerckhove, Nick Coutsier & Laura Neyskens
Dancers: Lili Proesmans, Rose Huysmans, Kyan Geeraerts, Dana Hof, Sandrine Wouters, Britt Pelgrims, Lente Ruts, Elena Cautreels, Joppe Anckaert, Féline Van Den Steen & Bente Wouters
During an intense workshop week in Destelheide (Beersel), Huys Arts from Wilrijk dove into the repertoire of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. They worked with material from their two favourite parts: Vlaemsch (chez moi) (2022) an Foi (2003). On the opening night of Body of Work they show a creation that bridges the two works.
Platform-K
Repertoire: Alain Platel & Frank Van Laecke / les ballets C de la B - Gardenia (2010)
Dance coach: Hendrik Lebon
Artistic coaching Platform-K: Fanny Vandesande en Frauke Seynnaeve
Extra support: Betty De Campenaere
Dancers: Sarah Snoeij, Anna Dujardin, Véronique Mees, Gabria Vermeir, Karlien De Cock, Zanne Boon, Oskar Stalpaert, Juki Rosiers, Carlien Foucart, Thomas Esprit, Laura Fierens, Hermelien Sabbe, Sky De Ryck &, Eddie Devos
Credits photo: Tine Declerck
A company for dancers with disabilities, based in Ghent and Brussels. Platform-K's experienced dance troupe dives into Gardenia (2010) and performs an ode to non-conformity, grotesque expression and breaking expectations.
Dance Images
Repertoire: Remakes of Swan Lake
Dance coach: Nicola Wills & Wim Vanlessen
Teachers: Elise Francen, Lieve Willems & Fien Lux
Dancers: Linus Beheydt, Liene Blockx, Estelle Bonehill, Lien Braeken, Lara Buekers, Fleur Hendrickx, Emily Laermans, Lola Mutton, Margo Reynders, Jozefien Thiry, Josephine Van Aerschot, Emma Van Aerschot, Laura Van Damme, Ella Van Ransbeeck, Lien Vanleemputten & Julie Vermeulen
Credits photo: Bruno Holvoet
The performance team of Dance Images, a ballet school from Kortenaken and Herk-de-Stad, is delving into one of the great ballet classics: Swan Lake. They are exploring the various reinterpretations the piece has undergone over the years, drawing particular inspiration from Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (1995), in which traditional gender roles are reimagined. Inspired by this and other versions of the influential work, they are developing their own creative interpretation.
Solemates
Repertoire: Historic evolution of tap dance – Waltz clog, Soft Shoe, Buck and Wing, Paddle and Roll (period 1840 – 1940)
Dance coach: Josh Hilberman
Dancers: Nancy van Camp, Bart DeCoutere, Leau Gabriels, George O'Neill, Barbora Hrebackova
Five tap dancers from Ghent and Brussels delve into the traditions of tap dance between 1840 and 1930. Starting from the traditional material, they develop new choreographies through improvisation techniques.
CREDITS
project coordination and documentation Charlotte Schramme presentation of Dansstroom showcase Anke Verschueren documentary Dansstroom Sander Tas (Kadanja) acknowledgements to all participants and their entourage! Dansstroom is made possible thanks to a project grant from the Cultural Heritage Decree of the Flemish Community
Anke Verschueren takes her great love, language, with her everywhere she goes, from paper to stage to podcast. Anke is almost always talking, writing, singing, listening, reading, presenting, moderating, editing or doing theatre, and she thoroughly enjoys it. The only hobby she has not yet turned into a profession is dancing.
On Saturday 25 April the presentation of Dansstroom is part of the Opening Night of Body of Work. In part 1 at 19:00, three groups dance in the Soetezaal, at 20:00 there's the official opening of the festival in STUKCafé, and at 21:00 the three remaining groups dance in the Soetezaal. We work with separate tickets for both parts.
On Sunday 26 April the presentation of Dansstroom is one programme, with a pause between both parts. You buy one ticket for the entire afternoon.
Location
Price
€5 per part (25.04)
€10 entire night (26.04)