LOOSE CONTROL

is an amalgamation of various dance techniques from Pieter’s past. In a playful way, different elements of contemporary, modern and classical dance techniques are merged with concepts from floor-, flow- and statework as well as ideas from the Ultima Vez-language, gymnastics, Bartienieff and ballet.
Pieter shares movements and phrases and proposes different ways to tackle them. Together with the dancers we look for authenticity within framed material. The workshop focusses on connecting physical and dynamic oppositions to each other in order to find different ways of performing movements.
Next to the search for authenticity and opposing forces working together, a main goal of the workshop is to have fun together and enjoy our bodies moving in space.

Pieter Desmet (Belgium, 1996) began his dance training at the Kunsthumaniora in Brussels and continued his studies at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp where he graduated in 2018.

After his graduation he joined Ultima Vez / Wim Vandekeybus, and has been touring since with the performances TRACES, Hands do not touch your precious Me and Scattered Memories. In addition, he works as a freelance dancer for OESTER / Aïda Gabriëls. He can be seen in the film installation Dragers by Koen Broos, and in music videos by the electro-pop band Fortress (Darkside and Fortress: the concert film) and the noise-rock band La Jungle (Du sang du singe).

Pieter is a guest teacher of contemporary dance technique at several (inter)national dance schools and festivals; Royal Conservatory of Antwerp (BE), Performact in Torres Vedras (PT), La Luna Danza (IT), DO Festival (PL) and the International Dance Week Budapest (HU).

Since 2017, Pieter has been researching his own multidisciplinary work with the overarching theme of identity development. In 2019, together with dancer and dance therapist-in-training Steffi Mennen and audiovisual artist Jonathan De Maeyer, he founded the art platform Persona. Within this they collect their individual work and develop and create together within their shared research The Body as Manifestation of Identity.