The Great Escape

Every person has his own authentic choreography of hand movements with which he expresses emotions. Busy, large repetitive movements in a state of enthusiasm or smaller, more restrained movements in case of discomfort or seriousness. Hands tell a story, they give people space or hold people in their grip.

A clenched fist, nervous tinkering at the nail, hands can flawlessly reveal the urge to escape. Whether this urge is prompted by a bank account, family member, or job, many people feel trapped. The Great Escape focuses on this feeling of being trapped. In their own way, the dancers show how hands can bring or counteract our liberation. The end result is a dynamic and exciting journey from wood grip to freedom.

In The Great Escape the interplay between dancers and hands is central and the dancers will be influenced by ‘’the hand language movement’’ of the life-size animated hands. The Great Escape is a continuation of Another Kind of Blue’s earlier production HandsON, a unique dance performance that is partly performed in virtual reality, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. HandsON, a unique dance performance that is partly performed in virtual reality, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Another Kind of Blue’s motion capture system can track the hand choreographies that Middendorp has created and can be incorporated in three-dimensional objects that move with and around the dancers.