Op 10 en 11 juli opent Space for Dance Art haar deuren voor een avontuurlijke avond: de Rhino Dance Marathon. Een beweeglijk parcours van dans, beeld, tekst, klank en herinnering – opgebouwd uit drie decennia danspraktijk van Emio Greco en Pieter C. Scholten.

De Rhino Dance Marathon is doorlopend toegankelijk, geen start of eind, maar een open huis. De hele avond dwaal je door zeven ruimtes, waar werk uit het verleden en het nu zich vermengen. Dertig markeringen uit het werk van EG | PC worden opnieuw zichtbaar – niet als overzicht, maar als actieve sporen: videofragmenten, gedragen kostuums, betekenisvolle objecten, en teksten die het lichaam als geheugen aanspreken. Daartussen verschijnen korte performances, exposities, installaties en interventies van nieuwe makers die resoneren met het DNA van ICK.

En de Rhino? Die reist mee. De neushoorn is krachtig en kwetsbaar tegelijk. Hij belichaamt het lichaam dat zich voortbeweegt, traag maar standvastig, tegen de stroom in. In de locatievoorstelling Addio alla Fine (Holland Festival 2012) figureert een neushoorn in een roeiboot, dobberend op het water – een beeld dat verwijst naar de film E la Nave Va van Fellini, waarin een cruiseschip vol culturele elite langzaam ten onder gaat. Alleen de Rhino blijft over, overgeheveld in een sloep die afdrijft richting een onbekende toekomst. Niet als overblijfsel, maar als voorteken.

De Rhino Dance Marathon is geen voorstelling, maar een beweging. Stap erin.

De line-up van performers en gastkunstenaars wordt binnenkort bekendgemaakt.

foto © Rene Mesman

Shane Koppers

ICK Amsterdam

RHINO DANCE MARATHON

In the depths of a private locked room, HUNTER toys with the redemptive process of a classical tragedy, whereby a character is made to gain insight through suffering. Though in this tragedy, performer and choreographer Courtney May Robertson enacts so-called life-affirming monstrosities upon herself and her life-sized doppelgänger in doll form. The duo - one of flesh and blood, the other crafted from foam and silicone - map out the internal torments and ecstasies of an individual in conflict with a society that upholds purity as a moral standard.

Inspired by Horror, BDSM and Melodrama, a tapestry of images are woven in which the grotesque, sexual perversion and excessiveness become triumphant symbols for bodily autonomy and empowerment. Spectators are invited to enter a space where the rigid dichotomy between repulsion and attraction dissolves. Courtney is convinced that when shame is suspended the visceral emotion of disgust, generally associated with aversion, has the capacity to transform into paradoxical intrigue. Propelled by an industrial soundscape composed by ‘Acidic Male’, in HUNTER self-destruction is embraced as an act of self-preservation.

“At its core, I would say that HUNTER is about dangerously obsessive desire. The kind of intoxicating desire that grabs you by the throat and pins you down and takes your life; and you let it destroy you and adore every second of it.”

"Very subtly, Robertson - small in stature, with an angelic face and black hair through which a blue sheen shines - takes the audience on a journey of pain."

- Theaterkrant

This performance is not recommended by its creator for persons under 16 years of age.

Also, the performance contains flashing lights.

Photo © Oostblok

HUNTER

Szilvia Bolla

Raw, sensual, rebellious and confrontational: the hard-hitting dance collective Trevoga mixes pop culture, the club scene, ‘high art’ and a dash of dystopia into an explosive commentary on the spirit of the times. With their new performance Xx-63, they dive into the world of desire, seduction and the dark side of contemporary escapism.

After their award-winning 11 3 8 7 performance (Best of Amsterdam Fringe 2023, NRC top 5 best performances of 2023-2024), Xx-63 delves deeper into the depths and substrata of desire, seduction and contemporary escapism. The result is a blistering performance where dance, visual imagery, theatre and electronic soundscapes merge to create a dystopian dreamscape - unsettling, sensual and overwhelming. The choreography flirts with tension in all its sexual charge, infused with a wry sense of unease. 

Inspired by club culture and fuelled by an urgent rage, the performers explore how bodies respond to a world that constantly excites, seduces and consumes. In Xx-63, the white capitalist body is not a sacred place but an abandoned shopping mall: crammed with the remnants of consumer culture, synthetic chemicals and sexually charged images. Here, fear is not an abstraction, but a physical state - something that crawls, wriggles and bites. 

The performers scratch at the shiny surface of urban hyperreality and lay bare its disturbing undercurrents. Clichés and symbols are distorted into sensual, wry forms; what emerges is a mirror of a grotesque and confused present. 

Trevoga Collective, led by Sandberg x SNDO alumna Neda Ruzheva, is a chaotic intersection of hope fanatics, doomsayers and emotional outsiders. What binds them is the radical choice not to suppress stress and tension, but to embody it. The stage turns into a dissection table: a place for self-analysis as a symptom of an era addicted to instant kicks, redefining the future as something raw, alive and unpredictable - a state worth keeping you up at night. 

Xx-63 is not a performance for sitting back and relaxing. It is a sensory assault. A trip. A dance on the edge of the system.

Xx-63

In de mime solo Victory Boogie Woogie plaatst Charles Pas zichzelf in een dystopische tussenruimte om te onderzoeken wat het betekent als je jezelf continu moet optuigen. Als verdwaalde jongeman gaat hij de strijd aan met het alledaagse, in een poging dat te temmen en op zoek te gaan naar alles wat daarachter ligt. Wat betekent het als je geen verbinding kan vinden, ontreddering de overhand krijgt, maar je niet anders weet dan door te gaan?

Bij deze voorstelling, waar de kracht ligt in het minimale gebruik van theatrale middelen, is Charles in dialoog met een volledig gesampled geluidsdecor van de soundtrack van het stadsleven. Victory Boogie Woogie is een dynamische trip waarin door middel van flitsen van een leven in de stad zich een steeds groter plaatje openbaart aan de toeschouwer. De dreiging van het radicaliseren van het individu ligt constant op de loer.

Charles Pas Artist in Residence in 2023/2024 bij ICK Dans Amsterdam.

VICTORY BOOGIE WOOGIE

Hugo Cabrera

A visceral duet of sweat and survival. No protection, just bare desire.

A Pelo [a ˈpe.lo] - adv. phrase 1.carried out without protection or preparation, without much thought. 2. Naked; without disguise. 3. Colloq. without a saddle, bareback. 4. Fig. To face something unarmed, often on impulse.

In this raw physical duet that serves as a prequel to We play so hard it hurts, Fernando Troya takes you through a darker time in his past. A time of oversexualization, often leaving him feeling ugly and condemned. The piece shows how queer desire becomes the conflict and the body its battlefield. Unapologetically intimate: it wants to be seen, felt, and endured.

Two bodies trapped. As one tries to escape, the other becomes the jailer.
What if the only way out is through each other?
A Pelo is not here to please you.
It’s here to own you.
Edging you with sweat and exposure - until nothing is left but skin, breath, and exhaustion.

A PELO

The ICK Dance Parade is back—the annual moment when ICK Dans Amsterdam reveals itself: raw, curious, and constantly in motion. In one hour, journey through a stream of pop-ups, sketches, experiments, and fleeting encounters. Makers, our dancers, and the new ICK-NEXT dancers step into the spotlight, from the works of Emio Greco | Pieter C. Scholten to fresh voices like Robin Coops, Melissa Diktaş, and Fernando Troya. 

Don’t expect a polished narrative, but rather unexpected twists and collisions of styles and energies. A host weaves the elements together, offering context without taking control. What will you see? Work still taking shape—already chafing, shifting, and surprising. 

Think of it as a mini-Uitmarkt for dance, but in true ICK fashion.Come see it!

ICK DANCE PARADE

Tom van Wee

Rodrigo Ribeiro

Sophie Prins

Dance and celebration of queerness and the power of witchcraft

Under the dense foliage, in the mystical glow of the full moon, three figures come together for an enchanting ritual. Far from the norms of society, a play of light and darkness unfolds, a macabre dance against the direction of the clock, fueled by demonic energy. This is where the Sabbath takes place - a night of magic, mystery and transformation. Behold the Sabbath, where boundaries blur and magic is in the air. To be entered at your own risk, for when night falls, the witch awakens.

Sabbath is an ode to the outsider, a celebration of the queerness and power of witchcraft. In this dance performance, choreographer Niek Wagenaar and his dance company Nymphs revise the traditional image of the witch. The witch is no longer a figure of fear and exclusion, but a symbol of empowerment, resistance and self-discovery. The witches' Sabbath is a safe space where everyone can be themselves, where identity and community are celebrated.
Behold the Sabbath, where boundaries blur and magic is in the air. To be entered at your own risk, for when night falls, the witch awakens.
 
“
The potentially transgressive, antinomian and outsider qualities of ‘witch’ are reflected in ‘queer,’ in that both words are reclaimed, recovered and reinvented, not as derogatory epithets but instead as identities of celebration, empowerment, transformation and resistance.”
 - Julian Vayne, modern witch

SABBATH

An endless battle, fought by an untamed creature in a flowered dress. Guided by the Dahul, the drum that makes the ground move. Together, stamping on the ground, they let it be known that she was, is, and always will be. Representing immortality. She who embodies existence.  
 
We celebrate, fight, let ourselves be carried away, held back, rise up, pass on, are conscious, unconscious, fed, feed, always keeping danger in sight. The oppressed, embodied in a body. What if you are eradicated, executed, and oppressed every day? What does something that is always in survival mode look like?  
 
Experience the power of survival and expression in 'That which is indomitable' by Melisa Diktaş. An immersive performance that embodies the essence of struggle, survival, and resilience, wrapped in the rhythms of the Kurdish movement language.  

About Melisa Diktaş:  
- Award winner at BNG Dansprijs 2025  
- Winner Fringe at Best Awards 2024  

In a highly expressive dance, she conveys a powerful mix of emotions: anger, pain, a sense of freedom, and the force of rebellion, with a striking dynamic between stillness and energy. This performance nearly bursts with urgency. She portrays a strong and untameable woman facing political oppression — but she fights!  
— Jury, Amsterdam Fringe Festival 2024

That which is indomitable

In ROCCO/ROCCA, the spectator takes his place around the boxing ring, where dancers become boxers. And boxers become dancers. They challenge each other with striking punches, fast footwork and virtuoso tactics. In close combat, relationships are challenged and men and women look for each other’s extremes.

The performance is based on the film by Italian director Visconti: ROCCO e i suoi fratelli, a film about brotherly love and the struggle for a better life. The dancers represent sibling love in all its facets: the good and the bad, the devil and the angel, the androgynous and the incestuous. ROCCO/ROCCA is a dance performance about the physically and emotionally churning bodies of boxer and dancer.

In 2012, during the Dutch Dance Festival, ROCCO was awarded the VSCD Dance Award, the Zwaan, for ‘most impressive dance production’. Dancer Christian Guerematchi was nominated for the ‘most impressive dance performance’.

In 2015, ROCCA was presented by Ballet National de Marseille with a female cast. This international success was seen again in the Netherlands in 2022 as ROCCO/ROCCA, a performance in which gender no longer matters. Men and women are equal, also in their intense physical and emotional surrender to both desire and struggle.

Press about ROCCO:

“Greco and Scholten sometimes cleverly intertwine the beauty, the craft, the physical intensity and the show element of martial arts and dance.” — Klaas Backx (De Groene Amsterdammer, November 16, 2011)

“ROCCO has become a hypnotic trip with a tension that rises until nothing seems to exist anymore but two physically and emotionally boiling bodies.” — Mirjam van der Linden (Volkskrant, November 7, 2011)

“A classic battle between brothers is staged here like a sweaty boxing match.” — K.A. (Der Standard, August 2, 2011)

ROCCO/ROCCA

We play so hard it hurts is a solo directed and performed by Fernando Troya. Delving into the subterranean realms of cruising culture and the quest for intimacy amidst darkness, the production emerges as a testament to the transformative power of resilience. During Amsterdam Fringe 2024 We play so hard it hurts received the International Bursary Award.

We play so hard it hurts synthesizes autobiographical traces with the timeless allegory of Peter Pan to excavate and celebrate the complexities of queer identity. Through a relentless commitment to authenticity, Troya playfully exhibits his adventure. The piece navigates spaces between performance, dance, and theater. And uses 10 mattresses as a living stage design.

Engaging in a dialogue with space, constructing and deconstructing new evocative architectures, enhancing the metaphorical imagery of the show. An allegory to where many of us remain trapped in a world of perpetually frustrated discovery, where play becomes a lifestyle.

In the report of the International Bursary Award wrote the jury the following about We play so hard it hurts: 
"Although Fernando Troya’s exploration of identity, sexuality, and vulnerability is personal, it never comes across as self-indulgent. On the contrary, 'We play so hard it hurts' is a raw and honest portrayal of his experiences within the gay cruising scene, using ten mattresses to create unique visual imagery. Troya’s background in classical ballet adds extra layers of depth to the choreography, which, combined with the scenography, brings the piece to life in a technically stunning way." -  Theaterkrant

WE PLAY SO HARD IT HURTS

Salah Eddine Mesbah

Hessel Moeselaar

Pouriya Jaberi

Raj Mohan

Voortbouwend op zijn eerdere werken, zoals SHAKTI en AGHORI, waarin Indiase levensbeschouwing en Hindoestaanse cultuur uitgangspunten vormen, zoekt Shailesh Bahoran in MYSTIC naar de universaliteit van het mystieke. Hoe kan iets in verschillende culturen, in verschillende tijden, op verschillende plekken, en bij allerlei verschillende mensen eenzelfde ervaring teweegbrengen?

Met een achtergrond in de hiphopcultuur gaat Shailesh Bahoran in de samenwerking met ICK Dans Amsterdam op avontuur met de dansers van het ensemble met een klassieke/hedendaagse achtergrond. Kruisbestuiving wordt ook gezocht in de muziek en de spirituele aspecten van de cultuur van het Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest. Zes muzikanten spelen live mee tijdens de voorstelling.

Over Shailesh Bahoran
Shailesh Bahoran is een Surinaams-Hindoestaanse choreograaf, danser en theatermaker. Met stevige roots in de hiphopcultuur heeft hij zich zowel solo als met zijn Illusionary Rockaz Company gespecialiseerd in de op straat ontstane dansstijlen popping en breaking. Bahoran heeft o.a. gewerkt met Het Nationale Ballet, Don’t Hit Mama, Het Nederlands Symfonieorkest, Conny Janssen Danst en ISH Dance Collective.

Prijs
De Zwaan voor ‘Meest indrukwekkende dansproductie’ werd in 2023 toegekend aan Illusionary Rockaz Company en Duda Paiva Company met de voorstelling AVATĀRA.

Het Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest (AAO) treedt op met muziekstijlen die in oorsprong variëren van Granada tot en met Bagdad en heeft meerdere succesvolle theaterproducties op zijn naam staan, waaronder REMLA, ZIEL|ROUH en Jihad van Liefde.

Shailesh Bahoran is Associate Artist bij ICK Dans Amsterdam.

MYSTIC is een productie van ICK Dans Amsterdam in coproductie met Illusionary Rockaz Company, Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest en Meervaart.

🎨 Cultural

MYSTIC

Adam

Maggie

Christie

Eric

Anna

Standard

guestList

De Company van ICK bestaat uit een ensemble van dansers én een junior compagnie: ICK Next. Oprichters Emio Greco en Pieter C. Scholten bouwen samen aan een hedendaags repertoire, waarin het intuïtief bewegende lichaam centraal staat. Ook gastchoreografen worden gevraagd creaties te maken vanuit het overkoepelende thema, Het Lichaam in Opstand. Vanaf 2021 is de veelzijdige choreograaf Shailesh Bahoran als Artist Associate uitgenodigd om met het ensemble te werken.