danser: Helene Pieren
foto: Pieter Leenheer
ontwerp: studio Lonne Wennekendonk


dancers: Daniela Neugebauer
& Szabolcs Pataki

dancers: l.t.r. Francesco Curci, Daniela Neugebauer, Sergey Shamota, Helene Pieren, Szabolcs Pataki en Irena Misirlić

On March 1st 2010, choreographer André Gingras became the new Artistic Director of Dance Works Rotterdam. With André Gingras the company enters a new artistic phase. Gingras puts contemporary dance in a social context: he brings important (moral) dilemmas into the theatre with energetic and raw dance. He strongly emphasizes collaboration and dialogue with organisations that are active in architecture, science, technology and city culture. His international network and experience will give the company a new impulse, with which Gingras intends to contribute to the (international) reputation of the city of Rotterdam.

Canadian-born André Gingras studied theatre, literature and contemporary dance in Toronto, Montreal and New York City. In 1996 Gingras became a regular member of Robert Wilson’s creative team. His first stage work, the award winning production CYP17 (2000), marked immediately his international breakthrough. An extensive tour throughout the Netherlands was followed by numerous invitations from festivals and theatres in Europe, India and North America. In 2002, Gingras collaborated as a choreographer for Peter Stein's production Penthesilea. Later productions such as The Sweet Flesh Room (2002), The Lindenmeyer System (2004) and The Autopsy Project (2007) toured successfully around the world. As a guest choreographer, Gingras worked with the Rambert Dance Company, Nederlands Dans Theater 1, Staatstheater Nürnberg and Tanztheater Bielefeld. At the moment he is touring with Hypertopia in China and his production Idoru (2009) and Monsterz (Meekers, 2009) are touring in the Netherlands.

Dance Works Rotterdam (2001) evolved from De Rotterdamse Dansgroep (1988), which was founded in 1975 (as Werkcentrum Dans) by Käthy Gosschalk. From its very beginning, the company contributed significantly to the development of dance as a lively component of contemporary culture. Throughout its rich history, the company has danced, often for the first time or as the only one in the Netherlands, works by major international choreographers such as Merce Cunningham, Jacopo Godani, Bill T. Jones, Amanda Miller and Stephen Petronio. Many renowned Dutch dance artists started their career with the company, including Anouk van Dijk, Piet Rogie, Hans Tuerlings, Ed Wubbe and Ton Simons. The latest was Artistic Director of the company between 1999 until March 1st, 2010.