TYPHOON
Monumental showdown in minimalist dance
TYPHOON
The monumental dance performance Typhoon (1986) by choreographer Krisztina de Châtel will be revived in the spring of 2025 and danced by the dancers of Introdans. In a windless prologue accompanied by the rippling piano sounds of Simeon ten Holt’s Canto Ostinato, the dancers prepare themselves for what is to come. They hang off balance as if leaning against the wind. Their arms cleave the air. They are ready for battle. Then the growing noise of wind machines drowns out the soft piano sounds. The dancers fill their lungs and proudly fight this (invisible) matter that they make tangible while dancing. The choreographic urge for order of De Châtel – leading in Dutch minimalist dance – is tested in this performance, as it were, in a flying storm.
For the performance Typhoon, Krisztina de Châtel collaborated with visual artist Peter Vermeulen and composer Simeon ten Holt. The central theme in Peter Vermeulen’s work is the conversion of energy into moving and sound-producing images. For Typhoon he developed the idea of having the dancers enter into a direct confrontation with the incalculable forces of the wind. He installed three wind machines that can vary in strength from a light breeze to a heavy storm. De Châtel then allows her dancers to directly confront the wind machines designed by Vermeulen.
“I have always been an admirer of Krisztina de Châtel’s minimalist work. The clarity in structure, the minimal shifts and the battle with the power of the wind machines are enormously fascinating. Introdans is committed to cherishing and reviving existing repertoire to prevent dance from becoming disposable art and to ensure that a new generation of audiences can become acquainted with these impressive works,” says Roel Voorintholt, artistic director of Introdans.
“More than ever, we are living in a raging storm. With Typhoon, I want to convey that we must continue to fight for harmony, beauty, and cohesion in everything that happens to us.”
— Krisztina de Châtel
Interview: Read here an interview from De Volkskrant with Krisztina Châtel and Lucinda Childs about their work and the performances Typhoon and ICOON.
Reviews: “Without a single step being changed, the purely formal, consistently developed and structured concept has, through current events, become a cry from the heart. De Chatel’s Typhoon has only gained in strength after 38 years. (…) Introdans performs the reprise brilliantly.”
NRC ★★★★★ 24-05-2025 See more press quotes below.
TYPHOON premiered 22 February 2025 at Internationaal Theater Amsterdam. Tour until 18 May 2025.
Agenda
TYPHOON
Trailer TYPHOON
The press on TYPHOON
“Without a single step being changed, the purely formal, consistently developed and structured concept has, through current events, become a cry from the heart. De Chatel’s Typhoon has only gained in strength after 38 years.” (…) “In these times of big tech, Typhoon may be more relevant than it was in 1986. Introdans performs the reprise brilliantly.” (…) “In Typhoon, De Chatel reveals herself as a quintessential minimalist in her movement language.” (…) “A moving image of determined resistance that inevitably evokes associations—not only with the war in Ukraine but also with the resistance needed against the elusive forces of technology and politics.”
NRC ★★★★★ 24-05-2025
“Choreographer Krisztina de Chatel makes her dancers move with the elements time and again. Her minimalist dance production Typhoon dates back to 1986, yet in today’s (political) climate, it suddenly feels as relevant as ever.” (…) “De Chatel, now over 80, remains one of the leading choreographers in our country. Time and again, she has made people dance with the elements. It is wonderful—and absolutely deserved—that Introdans includes her work in its repertoire, ensuring it is not forgotten.”
Het Parool 24-02-2025
ABOUT KRISZTINA DE CHÂTEL
Choreographer Krisztina de Châtel captivates again and again with her unique, energetic dance full of minimalist and mathematical movements. The successful revivals of Thron (2017) and Pulse (2019) and the monumental Föld (2022) show how her performances always resonate with a new generation of viewers. Her performances revolve around contrasts and confrontations: vulnerable human bodies are confronted with natural elements such as wind, earth and water, or the imposing space of a church building or machine shed. A battle also rages within the body itself: between passion and control, between individual freedom and the anonymity and security of the collective.
ABOUT INTRODANS
Introdans is known for its inspiring dance artists from all over the world with whom they present high-quality repertoire on world-famous stages. Treasured dance heritage alongside innovative creations. Contemporary styles for a broad taste and a wide audience. We use our art and expertise to connect people with their own imagination and dance power. Inclusive, because everyone can dance. Emotions become tangible, creating a rich experience.
Scene pictures TYPHOON
Impression TYPHOON
Rehearsal pictures TYPHOON
Premiere pictures at ITA Amsterdam
Choreographer
Dansers
Credits
Choreography: Krisztina de Châtel
Dance: Introdans
Music: Simeon ten Holt – Canto Ostinato – performed by Jeroen van Veen, from the CD Solo Piano Music Vol. I–V (Brilliant Classics)
Copyright © by Donemus Publishing, The Netherlands
stage and costume design Peter Vermeulen
lighting design Jilles Jongkind & Peter Vermeulen
costume atelier Mieke Erich
rehearsed by Francesca Monti & Paula Vasconcelos
ballet master Introdans Marlena Wolfe
duration ± 55 minuten
world premire 22 February 1986, Shaffy Theater, Amsterdam
Introdans premiere 22 February 2025, ITA, Amsterdam