Compagnie Tiuri
Please Hold My Hand

A visual poem about female strength in a world out of balance.

The role of women in a world that is out of balance: this is the theme embodied by *Please Hold My Hand*, a subject that is more pressing than ever. It explores how women navigate a reality they did not create. Faced with gender inequality, inappropriate behaviour and violence, their resilience is something that deserves admiration and must be taken seriously. In the Netherlands, a woman is killed every eight days. These figures make it painfully clear that safety for women cannot be taken for granted.

From this starting point, a dance theatre performance emerges as a visual poem about women who show us how connection and harmony keep the world in motion, precisely when fear tries to bring it to a standstill. Four dancers move like waves through a landscape of flower petals, carried by the rhythm of the seasons and by one another.

Artistic director Jordy Dik says: “I wanted to celebrate female strength, but discovered just how unsafe and unequal the world still is for women. Precisely as a man, I couldn’t ignore that. That’s why, together with them, I created a choreography that embodies all of this: joy, loss, longing and resistance, and the hope that together we can change this.” *Please Hold My Hand* refuses to accept that fear, violence and inequality are a permanent reality for women. It honours the women who came before us, embraces the unspoken dreams of today and confronts us with the future we are leaving behind. An ode to the women we love; here, there, everywhere.

This performance deals with themes surrounding femicide and gender inequality. It contains references to violence against women. Some scenes and texts may be experienced as confronting or emotionally challenging.