With the support of the Flemish Government
The working of GRIP in Antwerp is made possible in part by the Open Call for Structural Artistic-Cultural Initiatives of the City of Antwerp.
Femke Gyselinck / GRIP i.c.w. Lander Gyselinck
2026
Rhythm connects us inextricably to the world. It is everywhere – in our steps, in our language, in our emotions, in life itself. Since ancient times, when it served as a mnemonic aid for reciting poetry, rhythm has been used to bring people together: from the chanting of monks to a folk dance cadence.
For her new creation, Femke Gyselinck forges family ties with brother and musician Lander Gyselinck. They once created a duet – the 2016 show Flamer – within which they reversed roles: with Femke as drummer and Lander as dancer. This time, the seven dancers and four musicians on stage each set the rhythm for their own discipline. At a time when dance and culture are under pressure they make a bold statement committing to a group creation: ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.’
In this performance, rhythm is much more than just a component of the music. It is the foundation on which music and dance come together. The patterns of sounds and silences aid in remembering and singing, playing, or drumming in a group. And they make dancing possible.
'The four musicians throw themselves into Lander Gyselinck’s rich composition with complete dedication and an eye for detail. The brother plays around with timbres and rhythms that are now moving, now stimulating, sometimes intriguing, often simply astonishing. Meanwhile, the sister mobilizes her own body and those of the seven dancers to make all rhythms and timbres as tangible and visible as possible.'
- Els Van Steenberghe – Focus Knack – 21/04/2026
'A polyrhythm of several ingeniously interwoven figures.'
- Pieter T’Jonck - pzazz – 09/04/2026
'Femke Gyselinck’s choreographies engage in dialogue with her brother Lander’s percussion work. Not one-to-one, but in resonance with one another. The result is a sublime interplay of movement and rhythm.'
- Mia Vaerman - pzazz – 13/04/2026
CONCEPT & CHOREOGRAPHY: Femke Gyselinck
MUSICAL COMPOSITION: Lander Gyselinck
CREATION & PERFORMANCE: Amanda Barrio Charmelo, Mei-Li Dong Páez, Femke Gyselinck, Tarek Halaby, Jb Portier, Thomas Vantuycom, Sue-Yeon Youn and/or Jacob Bousset, Mariana Miranda
MUSIC: Lander Gyselinck, Mien Heyvaert, Hui-Chi Li, Wouter Van Asselbergh and/or Falk Schrauwen
LIGHTS: Elke Verachtert
SOUND ENGINEER: Milan van Doren, Jo Heijens
SCENOGRAPHY: Aslı Çiçek
SCENOGRAPHY PROJECT ASSISTANCE: Olivia de Bree, Francesca Desantis
COSTUMES: Miguel Peñaranda Olmeda - olmedam
DRAMATURGY AND SO MUCH MORE: Steven Michel
PHOTOGRAPHY: Robbrecht Desmet
TEASER, TRAILER: Robbrecht Desmet (CAMERA: Ivo Maes, Jorn Plucieniczak, INTERNSHIP: Pearl Salomon White)
TEXT ZINE: Tessa Hall
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Nick Mattan
DANCE INTERNSHIP: Jacob Bousset
TECHNICIANS ON TOUR: Jan Lettany, Milan Van Doren
PRODUCTION: GRIP (Francisca Alves, freelance Bert De Bock, Hanne Doms, Anneleen Hermans, Rudi Meulemans, Klaartje Oerlemans, Jennifer Piasecki, Sylvie Svanberg, Nele Verreyken, Kato Wilms)
INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: A propic - Line Rousseau, Marion Gauvent
CO-PRODUCTION: Concertgebouw Brugge & KAAP / Dans in Brugge, kunstencentrum nona, Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond, NEXT festival - La rose des vents – scène nationale Lille Métropole – Villeneuve d’Ascq, VIERNULVIER, Ictus, Perpodium
RESIDENCIES: Vaisseau Mère, P.A.R.T.S., Ultima Vez, STUK, VIERNULVIER, KVS, De Brakke Grond, Concertgebouw Brugge
THANKS TO Kaaitheater
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF: the Flemish Government de Vlaamse Overheid, Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government via UFund, de Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (the Flemish Community Commission)
