Contemporánea Condeduque, a space of the Area of Culture, Tourism and Sport, presents 'The Dog Days Are Over 2.0' in Madrid, a piece by Belgian choreographer Jan Martens. The performance focuses on dancers who, defined as pure performers, seek perfection under a complex, mathematical, vigorous, and exhausting choreography executed with forced uniformity.
At a key moment, the eight dancers make a mistake, causing their masks to fall and revealing the individual person behind each of them. The work can be enjoyed on October 2nd and 3rd.
“"The work highlighted the audience's perception of dancers, choreographers, spectators, and the cultural policy of the time. Ten years after its premiere, these issues remain highly relevant."
'The Dog Days Are Over' marked the major breakthrough for Jan Martens, with over 100 international performances. Its radical choreographic form questioned public perception of dance and cultural policy. Ten years later, 'The Dog Days Are Over 2.0' invites the spectator to shift from being a passive observer to an active reflector.
Jan Martens (Antwerp, 1984), recognized for his work 'Futur Proche', has established himself as a prominent figure in contemporary dance. Unlike some Belgian choreographers, he did not train at Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's PARTS but at his city's conservatory and Fontys Dance Academy, graduating in 2006.
Since 2010, Martens has developed his choreographic work, based on the conviction that every body can communicate and has something to say through transparent forms. His work aims to make the notion of time tangible, allowing for observation, emotion, and reflection, redefining the relationship between audience and performer.
Since 2022, Jan Martens has been co-artistic director of GRIP and an associate artist at the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. With 'Futur Proche' (2022), premiered at the Avignon Festival, he created a performance about the imminent future with fifteen dancers from the OBV, two children, and harpsichordist Goska Isphording.
