LAP / Dafne Maes - Binnensteboven
18.05.2026 — 29.05.2026
During the residency at STUK, we will meet our team; choreographer Dafne Maes and 3 actors Nick Robaey, Yentl De Werdt, and Steven Beersman will continue to shape the production Binnensteboven, which is being created for families (6+) and schools (8+). Musician Ephraïm Cielen, coach Tim Oelbrandt, dramaturg Cynthia Schenkels, and scenographer Michiel Van Cauwelaert will join us for a few days to explore.
With Binnensteboven, we are creating a performance that invites us to question the rat race of life. Just like adults, children are also swept along in the busy reality of daily life. In the early stages of life, the first signs of pressure to perform emerge, while their natural need for play, relaxation, and fantasy remains. Gradually, they develop a more logical and systematic way of thinking, without their fantasy and imagination suffering as a result. We want our audience to think critically about the standard, through the use of absurdism and illusionism, with which we explore the boundaries between logic and fantasy. This forms the basis for developing the movement material for Binnensteboven, which explores in a playful and surprising way how routine movements can go off track.
Credits
Direction/choreography Dafne Maes Performance Steven Beersmans, Yentl De Werdt en Nick Robaey Music and composition Ephraïm Cielen Scenography Michiel Van Cauwelaert Dramaturgy Cynthia Schenkels Coaching Tim Oelbrandt Costume design Elise Goedgezelschap & Valerie Le Roy Light design Bert Van Dijck Technician Hans Rigouts Co-production HET LAB, De Klap, 30CC, C-mine en Perpodium With the support of De Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Tax Shelter van de Belgische federale overheid en Sabam for Culture Thanks to STUK Leuven, De Studio en hetpaleis Image Clara en Wies Hermans (Fuut)
LAP was founded in April 2016 and aims to share its passion for contemporary dance with diverse target groups (children, youth, and families) through artistic performances.
LAP primarily creates wordless and highly physical (dance) performances. For its movement material, LAP combines highly recognizable, natural movements with a very abstract movement language. LAP guarantees performances that playfully and challengingly engage with the individuality of a young audience.
LAP created various performances and projects: Choco of kaas? (4+/5+) in 2021, Level Q (8+/10+) in 2022, Time Play (5+) in 2020, and Willen Meten Wat Wij Weten (6+) in 2021.
LAP also organizes Family LAP Days, during which the audience is immersed in a complete experience of watching (performance), playing, and moving through workshops, accompanying activities, and interactive walk-in and walk-out assignments.
Dafne Maes (choreographer of Binnensteboven / artistic and business director of LAP) obtained her Bachelor's degree in Dance and completed the specialized dance teacher training program at the Royal Conservatory of Artesis Plantijn University College Antwerp. She also obtained a Master's degree in Cultural Pedagogy at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. She has danced in various dance projects by, among others, Ann Van den Broek, Filip Van Huffel, Paul Wenninger, Randi De Vlieghe, Goele Van Dijck, Alexandra Meijer, etc.
As an educational officer/teacher, she worked at the arts education organisation BAMM! (Mooss), the Royal Conservatory of Artesis Plantijn University College Antwerp, and the renowned contemporary dance companies Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus and Rosas/Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. As part of her research into dance education, she designed the dance education website www.dansendansen.be. She is currently affiliated as a lecturer in Arts Education at Karel de Grote University College. With her own company LAP (www.lapvzw.be), she develops artistic performances and educational projects for children, young people, and families. Together with Laura Van Bouchout, Dafne is the author of Nelson's Dance Book and Nelson's Play Book.