MELOMANIAC / XL

Dancers, musicians and a DJ: they challenge one another during an on-stage battle in an attempt to capture the audience’s attention. Eventually, they find each other through what really connects them all; their love for music. Music so piercing that you can feel it in your gut, making it impossible not to move to the groove. Of course, it’s no coincidence that this is exactly the type of music that one would expect to hear when visiting the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Luring each other in to participate in the event, Maas’ dancers, an ensemble of horns and strings and a drummer from the orchestra go looking for new ways to dance to old sounds together.

In 2014 the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Maas Theatre and Dance (both coming from Rotterdam) found a way to bring the best of their two worlds together. They developed a unique cross-over show that mixed modern breakdance with 150 years of music history. In the years that followed, this successful performance piece would be resumed. Now, director Jolanda Spoel is putting together a new version of the show for a national tour with new dancers, new musicians and a new setlist of both classical and modern music. New and improved! What remains is the unique mix-concept that is guaranteed to provoke a sparkling chemistry between the musicians and the dancers.