2025.09.20 Encounter GRIP & Presentation 'Character' by Femke Gyselinck

https://www.labiennaledelyon.com/en/biennale/biennale-de-la-danse-2025/focus-danse/presentation-de-grip

When?
Encounter and presentation: 20th of September 2025 from 10:00 to 12:30
Exposition « Character »: 20th of September 2025 ongoing between 10:00 and 17:30.

Where?
Centre national de la danse, 40 rue Vaubecour 69002 Lyon.

This is not a pitch.
What is the relevance of dance and performing arts?

Of course, we could give you a beautiful PowerPoint presentation about our upcoming projects (about which we are very excited). But, perhaps, instead we should talk about our times which are out of joint, about the current situation in the world and how that reflects in our sector? And, maybe, we could even ask the big question: What is the relevance of dance and the performing arts today? We wonder: Can we still carry on with business as usual or do we need some radical changes? We would like to exchange thoughts, experiences, and reflections with artists, producers, programmers, technicians, and art workers.

During the second part of this morning one of our choreographers, Femke Gyselinck, will present Character, a danced alphabet in book form. Femke made this artist book in collaboration with graphic designer Joris Krits and photographer Robbrecht Desmet. She will talk about the project in dialogue with the team of the Biennale de la danse. A small expo based on the book with a reference library, in a scenography by Asli Çiçek, can be seen during the festival. ‘Character’ is an example of how the research material and archive of a choreographer can be shown within another medium.

GRIP is a dance organization with shared artistic leadership. Choreographers Femke Gyselinck, Jan Martens, Cherish Menzo, and Steven Michel act together as artistic directors. Alongside artistic coordinator Rudi Meulemans and company manager Klaartje Oerlemans they lead GRIP. GRIP is represented world-wide by Line Rousseau and Marion Gauvent from A Propic, Creative Agency for the Performing and Visual Arts. All of them will take part in this encounter. Together we invited Renée Copraij to join us and engage in the dialogue with the audience.Renée is a performer, dramaturg, and the artistic director of dansco, based in Amsterdam. She is a longtime collaborator of GRIP and worked as dramaturg for Jan Martens’ THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER (2014), recreated with a new cast ten years later and premiering at the Biennale from September 17 to 19.

This presentation is supported by the Flemish Government.