Between dance and cinema, Jaco Van Dormael, movie and theatre director, and Michèle Anne De Mey, choreographer and dancer, have created a unique hybrid form of theatre. At the border of dance and movie, every night with Kiss & Cry and Cold Blood they invite the spectators to discover emotions at another scale. Creating and broadcasting a movie live on stage and embodying the dancers’ fingers as characters. The show is choreographed so tightly, one mistake could ruin the flow of the performance.

Since then other creations have emerged, the concept has evolved but still, cinema and choreography are part of the DNA of their work together.

Michèle Anne De Mey and Jaco Van Dormael, partners in real life and co-workers on stage, reveal how they combine their talents on stage, where their creative universe meet.

The Bizimina project stems from the speed with which the collaboration between Kukai and Arena came into being. In this masterclass we will reveal the fine details of the creative process, from the original spark in Jon Maya’s mind to the final result. We will share the process of the dialogue between the choreography directed by Maya and the filming by Iraburu and Molina. We will reveal internal details, from the rehearsals and wardrobe tests to the sound drafts and discarded takes. Bizimina is a case study of the dialogue between dance and film, born with a clear and exact goal.

Synopsis of the film:

Bizimina is a hybrid of documentary film and dance. A series of independent pieces tell a story where we see the emotions that cost us so much to express nowadays: distance, longing for others, desire, community feeling, impotence, isolation, bewilderment and hope. The choreography creates a story that helps comfort and accompany us in these uncertain times.