In 'FEBRIS VR' Simon Bus investigates how virtual reality offers new possibilities to experience dance as a spectator. Based on material from the existing duet "FEBRIS" with Roy Overdijk, they experiment with videographer Daniel van Hauten how to simulate the experience of a dancer for the viewer.
Simon Bus (PLAN TALENTONTWIKKELING BRABANT)
Simon Bus (Heerlen, 1989) starts breaking at the age of twelve after seeing a clip of Run-DMC. Since 2002 he has been part of the breakdance crew 'Trashcan Heroes', with which he participates fanatically in as many battles as possible at home and abroad. About ten years later, he completed his study 'visual communication' at the Academy of Visual Arts in Maastricht. His B-boy name Statue betrays that his 'feeling for images' has also penetrated the breakdance scene. Simon's investigative way of looking and moving is gaining ground on the traditional understanding of breakdance. Gradually his style shifts towards 'experimental' and he becomes an outright innovator of the genre. In 2018, he begins to dedicate himself to making. He continues to experiment with urban dance forms such as house and breakdance. From his own hyperflexibility he turns these forms inside out and upside down and he also knows how to stimulate his dancers in this. This creates a unique movement language, which in turn also inspires specific design and lighting. Starting from narrative themes, Simon uses movement to create space for associations and he arrives at abstractions that provide peace and at the same time invite disquiet. Virtuosity and extreme physical possibilities always prove to be a source of humor and relativity.
In addition to being a choreographer, Simon remains a much sought-after dancer in the work of Guilherme Miotto, Shailesh Bahoran and Dunja Jocic.
The Virtual Residencies project was initiated by the Nederlandse Dansdagen in 2018 as a research into remote co-creation, in which the makers make use of digital media. It was investigated which problems arose in this respect, and which new opportunities were opened up as a result. The creators involved at the time were Hilde Elbers and Heather Ware. The concept came from DansBrabant, who was also co-producer.
In view of the long-term impact of the pandemic and the irreversible digitization that has arisen from this, the Nederlandse Dansdagen wants to continue the project over several years. In 2020, the project was therefore transformed. The selected makers were given an assignment that was deliberately broadly formulated: to create something for a digital platform. In this way they kept the artistic freedom to follow their own urgencies and to work out-of-the-box. During the completely online edition of the Dutch Dance Days in 2020, Virtual Residencies of Ann Van den Broek, David Middendorp, Peter Leung and Redo Ait Chitt and Dominique Vleeshouwers were presented. In 2021 they were Antonin Rioche, Evangelos Biskas, Jija Sohn and Ruben Chi.