Alpha - Strijbos & van Rijswijk

Alpha, , Nederland

1 Oct 2013

Five men and a female soprano deliver an explosive mix of dance, acrobatics and classical song. In ALPHA - the new wilderness choreographer Pia Meuthen places the body language of executives under the microscope. Sharply observant but with satirical relief, the show exposes the insatiable hunger for power.

Since the beginning of the financial crisis, it is clear how much influence the behavior of bankers, managers and directors has on our daily lives. In ALPHA – the new wilderness Pia Meuthen examines the conduct within the ‘old boys network’ and draws sharp parallels with the ape population. She portrays, without moralizing, how thin the layer of civilization can sometimes be. ALPHA – the new wilderness makes a direct link to our current state of affairs.

With her latest performance Panama Pictures hands the dance floor over to the men. Three dancers and two Chinese pole acrobats whirl across the stage, climb, slide and balance on poles and on each other. The boundary between human and animal is blurred. Are we watching a heated discussion between senior managers or a group of quarreling monkeys? And what is actually hiding behind the irresistible desire for power?

Pia Meuthen and her artistic team were inspired by the background of the most recent financial crisis, analysis of the behavior of managerial men and the work of the world famous primatologist Frans de Waal. The composers duo Strijbos & Van Rijswijk wrote a new composition specifically for the performance sung live by soprano Linde Schinkel.

Credits

Choreography Pia Meuthen
Dance en acrobatics Francesco Barba, Miquel de Jong, Miguel Fiol Duran, Gabriele Manca, Fabian Krestel
Soprano Linde Schinkel
Music composition Jeroen Strijbos & Rob van Rijswijk
Set design Katleen Vinck
Costume design Sanne Reichert
Light design Edwin van Steenbergen
Dramaturgy Angelique Willkie
Choreographic assistence and training Miquel de Jong

Alpha – the new wilderness is a Panama Pictures production in cooperation with DansBrabant and Strijbos & van Rijswijk, with financial support from the Fonds Podiumkunsten, BKKC/ Impulsgelden, VSBfonds and SNS REAAL Fonds.