Dance is for everyone. As part of this anniversary edition of Holland Dance Festival, we proudly present Good [old] Times once again: our biennial production featuring dancers aged 55 and over. To mark this special occasion, we are bringing back all previous choreographers for a unique, one-off series of workshops. An invitation to move, reflect and connect.
Each workshop draws from the artistic world of the choreographer and offers space for exploration, encounter and exchange — with yourself, with others, and with the time carried within the body.
Wednesday 11 February | 6.30 – 7.45 pm
Isabelle Chaffaud & Jérôme Meyer
Good [old] Times choreographers 2016
In their work, Isabelle Chaffaud and Jérôme Meyer explore how personal memories, taste and life experience are embedded in the body. Through a strongly physical and theatrical approach, they create work that balances intimacy, humour and vulnerability.
As in their performance My Tasteful Life, the lived body is central to this workshop. How do we carry our experiences with us, and how do they translate into movement?
Participants are invited into an attentive, playful and sensory exploration of dance as a carrier of memory, identity and time.
Sunday 15 February | 1.30 – 2.45 pm
Junadry Leocaria
Good [old] Times choreographer 2020 | Luna
In a world that often seeks to resist the signs of ageing, Junadry Leocaria’s workshop celebrates the privilege of growing older. Drawing inspiration from waacking and Caribbean dance styles, hips are loosened and confidence is boosted.
This energetic session focuses on what the body can do, rather than what it can no longer do. Through improvisational tasks and short choreographic phrases, participants are invited to rediscover themselves — with a distinctly Caribbean flavour. Let go of the outside world and lose yourself in music and movement.
Sunday 15 February | 3.30 – 4.45 pm
Rinus Sprong & Thom Stuart
Good [old] Times choreographers 2022 | Tableau de la Troupe
Where do I stand?
The performance Tableau de la Troupe, created by Sprong & Stuart in 2021 for Good [old] Times, reflected on older performers: no longer who they were in their heyday, yet still with much to share.
This workshop centres on the question Where do I stand now? — physically, mentally, in relation to other dancers in the space, and in relation to the wider world.
Through movement, we embark on a shared journey of discovery.
Wednesday 18 February | 6.15 – 7.30 pm
Andrea Beugger & Dries van der Post - St. Pra muziektheater
Good [old] Times choreographers 2018 | Into My Arms
Into My Arms — 8 years later
Who am I? Who was I? Am I still wearing the same coat as before? How do others see me?
In this workshop, memories, desires and lived experiences are translated into story and dance. Drawing on material from the performance Into My Arms created by St. Pra muziektheater eight years ago — now reimagined in a new form. Through playful improvisational tasks, participants explore how to deepen their dance skills, physical expression and sense of performership.
Thursday 19 February | 6.15 – 7.30 pm
Lonneke van Leth
Good [old] Times choreographer 2024 | Pauzeparadijs
Storytelling through movement
Lonneke van Leth, known for the performance Pauzeparadijs at the previous festival edition, invites you into her ongoing exploration: how can a powerful and concrete story be told through dance and play alone? Whether addressing younger or older audiences, her work consistently seeks the connection between movement and meaning.
Join in, be surprised, and discover how dance can become a story.
✨ Tip: her new performance After the Silence premieres on 11 February during the festival.
