CaDance Festival: Embodied Freedoms

Do we take freedom for granted? This year marks 80 years since the Netherlands was liberated by the Allies and World War II came to an end. There are generations growing up who know no war, even if a war is raging nearby. At the same time, there are freedoms under pressure.  

Embodied Freedoms initiates the conversation about freedom. Three makers share their own interpretation of freedom in a short dance film. In a fourth film, young people talk about their experience and show what it means to them to be free. Embodied Freedoms speaks in the universal and connecting language of dance & movement and keeps the conversation about freedom alive.  

The three professional makers who will choreograph the videos are Vladyslav Detiuchenko, Esmée Begemann and Roshanak Morrowatian. Each of these makers has their own experience of freedom. Vladyslav fled Ukraine because of the war and uses dance, among other things, to raise the visibility of what is happening in Ukraine. In her practice, Esmée explores the lasting consequences of intergenerational trauma. For her, freedom is inextricably linked to those who came before us and fought for our freedom. Having fled from Iran as a child, Roshanak is working for more freedom (for women) in Iran, including in her performances and in a protest campaign with Amnesty International. The fourth video is created by a group of young makers who explore together what freedom means to them. Four of Korzo’s young talents, Sedra van Ruijven, Yadhira De León Matos, Olin Bikker, and Lilian Kafa, reflect on the questions: “What does freedom mean to you? And how does it manifest in your movement and dance language?” Guided by choreographer Junadry Leocaria, they worked around the themes of water, weirdness, and the search for freedom as a young person in today’s world.

The four short films can be seen for free throughout the festival at the Club. They will be played continuously before, during and after performances in Korzo.

In Unbound, four of Korzo's young talents — Sedra van Ruijven, Yadhira De León Matos, Olin Bikker, and Lilian Kafa — explore the question: “What does freedom mean to you, and how does it manifest in your movement?”

Under the guidance of Junadry Leocaria, they delve into themes such as water, queerness, and the experience of being free in today’s world.Through their personal responses, each dancer reflects on the connection between self-expression, inner strength, and breaking free from limitations.

With movements ranging from contemporary dance to Waacking, they invite us to explore freedom not as a singular concept, but as something fluid, diverse, and deeply personal.

Get Moving

Unbound was created within Get Moving, Korzo’s young talent program that empowers dancers aged 15 to 25 to explore, create, and express through a wide range of movement styles. This initiative gives the performers the space to discover their own voices and stories, in this case around freedom, supported by experienced mentors and a vibrant community.

Credits:
Concept, Choreography & Dance:
Sedra van Ruijven
Yadhira De León Matos
Olin Bikker
Lilian Kafa

Coach: Junadry Leocaria
Direction & Editing: Ciska Meister
Music: Rutger Zuydervelt
Cinematography: Noël Schut
Gaffer: Boris Peters
Lighting Assistant: Lennert Roijackers
Production: Mirjam Dales
Head of Education: Eva de Groot
Education: Lisa de Groot
Concept Embodied Freedoms: Nitchka Wefers Bettink
Marketing: Shewska Verberne Pantoja & Mikki Ibeawuchi

In Case They Ask follows the quiet echoes of history in the rhythm of our daily lives. Through intimate movement, Esmée explores how acknowledging the generational journey of the women who came before her can become an act of liberation. 

Freedom begins with recognition.
Of the stories we carry with us.
Of the women who built a home from loneliness.
Of the strength passed down in silence.
By honoring the past, we loosen the grip of expectations.
We reclaim the narrative.

And we remember: freedom does not stand alone.

Esmée Begemann 
 
Esmée is a theatre director and performer. In her work, she aims to contribute to a more inclusive society—one that values all stories and invites us to critically reflect on the roles we play within the cultures and identities we are part of. She strives to hold space for complexity and encourages others to engage with it as well.

Text in the film

Tell them.
Tell them we are the daughters of sons.
That we are the kid in the rain
Who runs out for a dance.

Tell them we are tropical trees in cleancut backyards.
That we are the smell of freshly baked apple tarts.
Around my neck I do still wear her pearl. 

Tell them we are descendants of the finest navigators in the world.
Tell them we are hot water bottles
and lonely nights during cold winters.
Tell them we are Saté babi at Christmas dinners.

Tell them we’re arias and string quartets and first violins.
Tell them we are the little girl who dresses up as a lion.

Tell them we are wooden earrings at fine dining events. 
That we never know whether we’re past, future, or present. 
Tell them we are the children of the people who didn’t want to leave.
Never wanted to leave.

In between continents and history, stories and melancholy.
A kid of a colony. 

Credits:
Concept, Choreography & Performance: Esmée Begemann
Performance: Sylvia Erschen
Direction & Editing: Ciska Meister
Music: Rutger Zuydervelt
Cinematography: Noël Schut
Production: Eslin Cohen Stuart & Mirjam Dales
Education: Lisa de Groot
Special Thanks: Marthe Peters, Femke Bosma
Concept Embodied Freedoms: Nitchka Wefers Bettink
Marketing: Shewska Verberne Pantoja & Mikki Ibeawuchi
Production House: Korzo

When freedom burns, she burns red.
Inspired by the phoenix—the myth, the fire, the rise—
Khorshid is a dancefilm of rebirth and revolt.

A tribute to women who fight for their freedom
to move, to learn, to sing, to soar.
To feel wind in their hair and fire in their bones.
From ashes, they rise—unbroken, unstoppable.

I dance in their flame.
I am the firebird.
I am Khorshid.
And I ignite.

Roshanak Morrowatian

Roshanak is a dancer, performer and choreographer. Her interdisciplinary work is characterized by a profound exploration of themes of identity, borders and the search for belonging. She explores the physicality of memories, the fluidity of traditions and the experience of a body in diaspora.  

Credits:
Concept, Choreography & Dance: Roshanak Morrowatian
Direction & Editing: Ciska Meister
Vocals: Mahnaz Heygharnejadi
Music: Rutger Zuydervelt
Cinematography: Noël Schut
Gaffer: Boris Peters
Costume: Mieke Kockelkorn
Wings: Macwings
Production: Mirjam Dales & Eslin Cohen Stuart
Education: Lisa de Groot
Concept Embodied Freedoms: Nitchka Wefers Bettink
Marketing: Shewska Verberne Pantoja & Mikki Ibeawuchi
Production House: Korzo

Through dance, we remember: freedom is not still. It trembles. It slips. 
And however far away it might seem, we’ll continue to reach for it. 
Again and again. 
Because to move is to hope. 
To dance is to resist. 
 
This film drifts through the delicate space between what we believe freedom is—and what it becomes for those who’ve had it taken from them. Inspired by personal experience and the voices of refugees and migrants, Fleeting Presence unravels the illusion of freedom as a given. It explores the tension between freedom as a right—one that can be lost to borders, politics, and war—and the freedom of the spirit, fleeting but untouchable. 
 
Vladyslav Detiuchenko  

Vladyslav is a Ukrainian artist, choreographer, and mover whose work is driven by a deep belief in the transformative power of art. The war in Ukraine forced him to leave is home and deeply transformed Vladyslav as an artist, infusing his work with a profound commitment to using art as a voice for resilience and resistance. 
For him, dance is more than performance—it's a language of freedom, and a way to connect with what makes us human.

Credits:
Concept, Choreography & Dance: Vladyslav Detiuchenko
Direction & Editing: Ciska Meister
Assistants: Gregory Petrovich & Veronika Rakitina
Music: Rutger Zuydervelt
Cinematography: Noël Schut
Gaffer: Boris Peters
Production: Mirjam Dales
Education: Lisa de Groot
Concept Embodied Freedoms: Nitchka Wefers Bettink
Marketing: Shewska Verberne Pantoja & Mikki Ibeawuchi
Production House: Korzo