Alexander Vantournhout
Alexander Vantournhout studied at ESAC, the college of circus in Brussels, where he immersed himself in rad, juggling and acrobatics before devoting himself to studying dance at P.A.R.T.S., the dance school of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. His movement language is influenced by dance techniques, martial arts, circus, yoga, anatomy and the animal world. Two constants in his artistic trajectory are the search for the creative and kinetic potential of the body and the investigation of the many aspects of the relationship between artist and object.
In 2014, Caprices premieres, a solo choreography set to the music of Sciarrino. A year later, Alexander creates Aneckxander (2015) in collaboration with Bauke Lieven. In 2017, Vantournhout, also assisted by Bauke develops the duet Raphaël. The Ceramic Rose (2018) forms a choreographic solo supporting Scali Delpeyrat’s theatrical monologue. His first group piece, Red Haired Men (2018) is inspired by the absurd poetry of Daniil Kharms and mixes dance with acrobatics, theater and magic. In 2019, Alexander is developing his first in-situ performance, SCREWS. Five performers guide the audience through a series of micro-performances set among and around the audience. With Through the Grapevine (2020), Alexander Vantournhout returns to the theater and builds on the idea of Aneckxander to some extent with this duet. The body is reintroduced in a very pure form and the performance delves into the creative and kinetic potential of physical limitation. With Contre-jour (2021), Alexander fully opts for the role of choreographer, giving the stage to five dancers from diverse backgrounds. In the fall of 2022, Alexander Vantournhout once again takes the stage solo with VanThorhout. Foreshadow will premiere in the summer of 2023.
Alexander Vantournhout created two dance films, Screws & Stones (2019) and Snakearms (2021). The latter was selected for Cinedans, the NY Segal Film Festival and the TheaterFestival. Aneckxander, SCREWS, Through the Grapevine and VanThorhout were also selected for TheaterFestival as one of the most outstanding performances of the season.
