| Makers | Danstheater AYA |
| Duration | 60 min |
| Part of | De Betovering |
Yanasei's journey to the afterlife is imaginative and playful” – Fritz de Jong, Het Parool.
Yanasei (pronounced: jan' na see) is Surinamese for the afterlife. In this enchanting dance and music performance, we sit close to a sleeping boy who wakes up in a mysterious and unknown place. And that place is the antechamber of Yanasei. He is a little scared in this magical world full of strange creatures. He slowly gets to know the country and makes friends. But before he travels on to Yanesai, he must first do something brave. Do you miss someone who is dead? Let yourself be comforted by this performance full of song and old Surinamese music, presented in a new guise. Yanasei shows that death is still very much a part of life.
This performance is part of festival De Betovering’s program at Korzo.
Danstheater AYA creates unique taboo-breaking performances for young audiences that bring an exciting mix of contemporary dance forms, acting, singing and live music from different (youth) cultures. Dance theater that inspires full immersion but always peppered with just the right amount of humor. With his musical and visual dance theater, director and choreographer Ryan Djojokarso wants to bring both the struggle and the joy of real life to the stage. Since March 2024, he is the new artistic director of AYA. Ryan is a versatile choreographer and creates performances for children, young people and adults. He has been associated with AYA as a house choreographer for some time and has previously worked for Korzo, DOX, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam and Conny Janssen Danst. In 2020, he founded his own company LIBI. He has already been nominated twice for the Jong Publiek award of the Dutch Dance Days with his work. His performances WINTER/21/J. and HERFST were selected for the Dutch Theatre Festival as one of the most impressive performances of 2022 and 2024.
Direction and choreography: Ryan Djojokarso
Performers: Thersa Bergmann, Sam Corver, Simon Mual, Mireia Varón Gallofré, Tiffany Vicario
Vocal arrangements: Shanice Redan Music: Jorg Schellekens Text: Ryan Djojokarso, Jappe Groenendijk
Dramaturgy: Jappe Groenendijk Set design: Morgana Machado Marques
Lighting design: Ate Jan van Kampen
Costume design: Miek Uittenhout
Part of Festival De Betovering#26
Festival De Betovering is the annual international arts festival for children during the autumn break! This year marks the 26th edition, called Stapelgek (Crazy Fun), from Friday 17 October to Saturday 25 October 2025.
Check out the full programme at: korzo.nl/en/themes/de-betovering/ or explore the entire festival programme at 60 locations throughout the city via debetovering.nl.
Korzo Zaal