Who are we, what are we, how did we become this way? Implicitly or explicitly, many of the dance artists welcomed by Julidans this year are asking these questions. It is certainly high time! And because they believe in the power of dance from the bottom of their hearts, they seek answers in the body.

For what is the body? Surely more than just an ingenious machine with an infinite range of motor capabilities? It is our personal archive, our physical mouthpiece and our antenna. What the mind cannot yet conceive, the body senses thanks to the knowledge stored within it.

Choreographers devote their entire lives to exploring that knowledge. From the heart. Their bodies show the way; dance is their language. Jefta van Dinther even literally creates a new, visible form of communication by combining sign language and dance. Every choreographer reveals what moves them in their own way. Through movement, rhythm, spatial patterns and forms, they each strive to express the inexpressible. Sometimes it is the small gestures that, in a mesmerising repetition, represent a great emotion, a memory of the past, as in the hypnotic choreographies of Sharon Eyal and Armin Hokmi.

The urge to create dance is deeply rooted – it simply has to come out. Sometimes through a ritualistic, minimalist approach that enables transformation, freeing the mind to look to the future, or conversely, to connect with the past. As in a coffee ritual from Ethiopia, a sacrificial ceremony in the African jungle, or a Chinese trance ritual.

-|-But the body also points the way to new paths and forms, to freedom. In the quest for a free future, Serge Aimé Coulibaly honours his roots and shows that folklore is not a fossilised tradition, but alive and well and open to renewal. Alan Lucien Øyen demonstrates through contemporary dance theatre that Sophocles’ classical drama about moral duty versus political power is timeless. François Chaignaud, Nina Laisné and Nadia Larcher, dancing and singing beautifully, transform into a new form of life during their profound immersion in the dance and music traditions of South American peoples.

Dance as physical archaeology and a glimpse into the future. It is a commonly shared wisdom: to know where we are going, we must first know where we come from. The body possesses that knowledge. That is why dance can tell us so much. From heart to heart.

Anita van Dolen and the Julidans team

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We look forward to welcoming you at the festival. Below you will find the program. A mix of stunning, raw, energetic and musical performances. To help you fully immerse yourself in the festival, we are introducing a multi-show discount this year: book 2 different performances and receive 10% off, book 3 or more and receive 20% off.