How to escape the traps of systems of representation and visibility? Leandro Souza, who comes from Brazil and lives and works in Amsterdam, researched the idea of escape. He based his search on the legacy of resistance and confrontation of his African ancestors from sub-Saharan regions, who were transformed into commodities, enclosed, and forced into centuries of degrading labor. Their history provided Souza with choreographic approaches from an expanded perspective, and pointed the way for refusing the forces flattening the experience of life today.
Souza: “Escape is a muse that insists on whispering in our ears at a time when we have been convinced to wish for our own capture. It continues to inspire the (re)invention of ways of living, doing, seeing and thinking about existence beyond what is known, asking questions: is there no alternative? Is this where we wanted to go? Do we want to run away from everything? Escape from what? When, how and with whom?”
One tactic for escape is entanglement. Souza uses it to create a choreographic dynamic between body and word. His solitary body moves through the space, uttering excerpts from song lyrics, philosophical texts, and quoting prominent figures from Western culture. All the while, he performs gestures and movements from the worldwide dance archive, from both the global center and periphery. In disrupting the program in our minds, by breaking the rigid grammatical structures of spoken or embodied language, Souza opens up possibilities for reinvention.
Concept, research, choreography - Leandro Souza Performance - Leandro Souza Light Design - Patsy Lassbo Sound Design - to be defined Costume - Leandro Souza Tutors - Konstantina Georgelou and Jeroen Fabius Advisors - Renan Marcondes Produced in the context of - Das Choreography, Das Graduate School and by the producer Tetembua Dandara. Co-produced by Spring Performing Arts Festival 2024. Thanks to Allyson Amaral, Alina Ruiz, Aline Olmos, Isis Andreatta and Mário Lopes
Over SPRING
SPRING Performing Arts Festival is een tiendaags internationaal festival met vernieuwende dans, theater, performances en meer in de stad Utrecht. Je vindt SPRING in het theater, op bijzondere locaties en in de openbare ruimte. Op het festival zie je ruim 25 avontuurlijke en urgente voorstellingen van zowel dichtbij als ver, die vragen durven te stellen over de staat van de wereld. Je kunt je laten verrassen door nieuwe artistieke vormen en je laten inspireren door andere manieren van kijken naar de wereld om je heen. Tijdens SPRING ontmoeten makers en een nieuwsgierig publiek elkaar voor uitwisseling, discussie, inspiratie en plezier.
About SPRING
SPRING Performing Arts Festival is a ten-day international festival with innovative dance, theatre, performance and more in the city of Utrecht. You will find SPRING in the theatres, at special locations and in public spaces. At the festival you will see over 25 adventurous and urgent performances from both near and far that dare to ask questions about the state of the world. You can be surprised by new artistic forms and inspired by other ways of looking at the world around you. During SPRING, makers and a curious audience meet for exchange, discussion, inspiration and fun.
