Atlas

Maker	ROTOR
Duration	60 min
Part of	Sideways

There are performances that leave an impression.
And there are performances that get under your skin.
Atlas does both!

"The real exhaustion, in both performers and audience, is fascinating."

— Nora de Bruine, Theaterkrant

ATLAS is the latest physical performance by collective ROTOR, a poetic exploration of carrying responsibility in a hyper-individualized society. Inspired by the work of philosopher Byung-Chul Han (The Burnout Society and Vita Contemplativa), ROTOR raises questions about who carries what, and what it means to carry this together.

In a world marked by increasing pressure, burnout, and glorified independence, can we lighten the load by working together, by sharing responsibility?

Amid the chaos of our fast-paced lives, ROTOR searches for stability and calm, perhaps found precisely in connection with others. In an almost sensory experience, they reveal the beauty of shared responsibility.

What if, unlike Atlas, we do not carry the sky alone, but together? Perhaps it becomes lighter. Perhaps the sky becomes air again.

Artists and performers Hidde Aans-Verkade and Koen van der Heijden form the creative core of ROTOR. Both trained at the Academy of Theatre and Dance (ATD) in Amsterdam, where a unique physical connection sparked their collaboration. The world of performance collective ROTOR revolves around repeated physical movements. Central to everything they do is the question: what sets ROTOR in motion? This question doesn't just explore the mechanics and inspiration behind movement; it also considers how movement can spark reflection and transformation in the audience. What does ROTOR stir in those who watch them? The body as the starting point, the exhaustion of the performers, the physical involvement of the audience, variation within repetition, and the search for meaning.

Concept: ROTOR (Hidde Aans-Verkade & Koen van der Heijden)
Direction: Hidde Aans-Verkade
Cast: Koen van der Heijden, Maja Grzeczka, Zhu Eikenaar, Luzi Madrid Villanueva, Danisha Martis, Fleur Janssen, Jacob Moen
Costume Design: Kevin Pieterse
Composition: Krijn Moons
Scenography: Han Ruiz Buhrs
Lighting Design: Paulina Prokop
Technical Crew: Jurre Popping
Dramaturgy: Loes van der Pligt
Business Management: Hedwig Sinnema
Production: Danique Jongbloed
PR & Marketing: Jannes Heidinga
With thanks to: Fonds 21, Dioraphte, Cultuurfonds / Stoephuis Fonds, BNG Cultuurfonds, Stichting Zabawas, Amarte Fonds, K.F. Hein Fonds