How do you make it ... Ballet Dommage

Ballet Dommage is a theater collective, founded in 2010 by actors/theater makers/friends Katrien Valckenaers and Maxim Storms.

How do you make it?

The performance 'Fratssen' is primarily created from improvisation. Together with a strong team of actors, we searched for archetypes within the recognizable dynamics of a family celebration. We then tried to make those abstract and musical through language and physicality. We did many try-outs because the performance continues in front of the audience: we had to find the right focus within that chaos.

Why do you make it?

“The idea stemmed from family anecdotes that we (Maxim Storms and Katrien Valckenaers) have been telling each other for years. We noticed how every family celebration carries a longing for harmony. However, the more that striving for peace, the greater the chance of total derailment. Furthermore, we were fascinated by the fact that beneath that overwhelming superficiality, wounds often lie dormant. But at the same time, the performance is an ode to the celebration, to the gathering, to the rituals that we – despite everything – remain faithful to.”

Who are you doing it with? 

As in every Ballet Dommage performance, the entire universe is important and every component contributes to a rich, imaginative world. We worked with a strong cast: Mourad Baaiz, Marjan De Schutter/Patricia Kargbo, Leen De Veirman, Billie-Joanna Tcheke, Zita Windey, and Victor Vermaerke. The final direction was in the hands of Randi De Vlieghe, with whom we previously collaborated on 'Tribunal'.  Rachid Laachir (scenography), Rosa Schützendorf (costume), and Geer Vanoorlé (light) together created a very colorful and grotesque universe that both contrasts with and coincides with the dusty ballrooms in which we perform.

“A theatrical family celebration that is as connecting as it is alienating.”