Kelly Vanneste is from Kortrijk. She is the artistic leader and choreographer of Alienated.

She tells us about her first memory of Kortrijk and is happy to share a tip with young artists in Kortrijk.

What is your first memory of Kortrijk or the region?

The first thing that comes to mind is the outdoor swimming pool at Abdijkaai. I’m not sure if it’s really my earliest memory, as I was about 10 years old. But this is definitely the first thing that pops into my head now. My parents often went swimming at the outdoor pool. Of course, I always went along. One time, I was allowed inside when all the pools were empty because my mother was going to take a photo for her photography course. While she was photographing, I could only think about how impressive it would be to present a performance in an empty pool. This was one of the first moments I realized that I wanted to create my own dance performances. Looking back, I realize that the idea in that pool closely relates to my current work. I love creating frames, just like that empty pool did in my mind. Since the beginning of my career, a body has been combined with objects, such as a shopping cart and a bathtub. Over the years, this evolved further, and I became more interested in the body and different entities. This is broader and simultaneously creates a clear frame: the body is the foundation, and another element influences and challenges it.

Do you have a specific place in Kortrijk that is special to you, and why?

An important location for me is Vlaanderenkaai. I lived right next to my grandparents; those two houses felt like one house to me. A house with two front doors. It was always a celebration to be there: watching television, mainly ‘Lili & Marleen’, eating the classic pudding with speculoos, feeding the birds by the water, and taking long walks with my grandpa's dog, or as I called him: Bompa. He loved living by the water. It reminded him of home because he used to live on a boat. The Leie region was therefore our place. When my grandparents passed away shortly after each other, I started seeing a lot of herons. Or maybe I only started noticing them then. I still see them super often at important moments, when I’m driving in the car or during a walk. Since 2009, I consider every heron I encounter as a sign of good luck. The heron represents calmness, wisdom, and intuition. That’s exactly how I saw my Bompa. Now that I’m back, I also find it wonderful to see that the Leie region has gained a bit more focus in recent years. These urban renewal projects ensure that Kortrijk remains not only a historic city but also a modern, dynamic place where the tranquility of the water, art initiatives, and city life beautifully merge.

What place do your roots hold in your artistic oeuvre?

My upbringing plays a crucial role in my artistic journey. I come from an athletic family, where physical activity was ingrained from a young age. That background has sparked my fascination with the body and its possibilities. I see the body as something powerful and infinitely expressive. This greatly influences both my work as a creator and my movement qualities as a dancer. I want to showcase the strength and possibilities of the body and explore, challenge, and overcome its physical and mental limits, but always from a safe perspective. We sometimes forget what our bodies are capable of. A body often tells more than words ever could, and yet we focus so much on verbal communication. Body language can be difficult to understand, but that’s what makes it so beautiful. Because when you recognize yourself in dance, it touches a deeper layer. A layer where emotions and stories are stored that cannot always be captured in words but are universally connected to every human being.

What would you like to say to the young generation of artists from Kortrijk?

Art is never finished. Keep questioning yourself and your work, keep exploring, and keep moving. Both literally and figuratively. There is always a new boundary to push. Only you determine how far that boundary lies.