VanThorhout

Whether it be ancient gods, classical heroes, soldiers or athletes, the glorification of male power throughout history has often tended towards a celebration of war, aggression, and violence. Thor, to whom the title refers, is one of its most famous personifications of this. He can unleash a thunderstorm and lives on to this day as a superhero in Marvel comics and films, invariably depicted with his Mjölnir, a hammer with an incredibly short handle.

In VanThorhout, Alexander comes on stage as Thor, with his own Mjölnir. As always in Alexander’s oeuvre, the relationship between object and performer quickly becomes ambiguous. When does one lose the strength to manipulate this heavy hammer, and when does the hammer take over and become uncontrollable?

“Vulnerability and strength, Alexander Vantournhout never combined them so beautifully as in his new solo.” — ★★★★ De Standaard

“The meticulous precision, the seamless merging of all movements, and the overall excellence of this performance deliver an exceptional five-star rating. It is truly perfect. And thought-provoking. And politically relevant without being preachy. And boundary-pushing in all its minimalist thoughtfulness.” — ★★★★★ Focus Knack

"A show on the edge of circus and dance, as virtuoso as it’s intelligent, not to be missed.” — La Terrasse

“Dance, sports, contemporary circus and visual arts, Alexander Vantournhout merges different disciplines together and tops it off with a taste of radicality. Choreographer and performer of pieces in which he knows how to combine gestures that are both intimate and extravert, ascetic and spectacular. Whether he performs solo, in duo or with others, he's always playing with the singularities and numerous possibilities of a body, exploiting it beyond the aesthetic canons and with a crazy dexterity." — Sceneweb

"His right hand moves to his left shoulder blade. This first turn drags him into a spiral movement that keeps him spinning around his axis like a dervish for 50 minutes. As this image develops, the arm movements he incorporates into his rotations become increasingly complex and extreme. It’s Vantournhout's signature: carefully choreographed and precisely coordinated movements." – pzazz

“Divine!” — ★★★★ Het Nieuwsblad

Choreography & performance Alexander Vantournhout

Artistic assistant: Emmi Väisänen

Dramaturgy: Rudi Laermans & Sébastien Hendrickx

Prop design: Tom De With & Willy Cauwelier

Light design: Bert Van Dijck

Costume design: Patty Eggerickx

Outside eye: Charlotte Cétaire, Anneleen Keppens, Esse Vanderbruggen & Sandy Williams

Object manipulation outside eye: Sebastian Berger & Simon Janson

Thanks to: Bojana Cvejić, Ben Mcewen & Tom Van der Borght

Technical coordination: Rinus Samyn

Technicians on tour: Tijs Bonner & Bram Vandeghinste

Company manager: Esther Maas

Production manager: Barbara Falter & Aïda Gabriëls

Diffusion: Frans Brood Productions

Production: not standing

With the support of la Fondation d’entreprise Hermès within the context of the New Settings programme.

Co-production: Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER (Ghent), Le CENTQUATRE (Paris), Les Subsistances – SUBS (Lyon), Les 2 Pôles Nationaux des Arts du Cirque normands — La Brèche (Cherbourg) & le Cirque-Théâtre d'Elbeuf, 3 bis f - centre d'arts contemporains (Aix-en-Provence) 

Alexander Vantournhout is artist-in-residence at Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER in Ghent and associated artist of le CENTQUATRE Paris and Cirque-théâtre Elbeuf. He is cultural ambassador of the city of Roeselare and is also supported by Fondation BNP Paribas for the development of his projects.

not standing is supported by the Flemish Government.

🏆 Het TheaterFestival 2023

“With his left hand, he grips his right elbow at the level of his neck, pushing himself around his axis. As the choreographer keeps spinning, he lets his arms fan out gracefully above his head before wringing them into another ingenious construction. These are perhaps the five finest minutes of dance we have seen so far this season.” — ★★★★ De Standaard