• ODE TO THE ATTEMPT

Jan Martens

Perfection is boring.

ODE TO THE ATTEMPT is a solo Martens has created for himself. Somewhere for him to fool around having made some intense, almost dogmatic pieces. Authenticity, manipulation, coolness, perfectionism, humour and melancholy form the extremes between which he moves. The result a self-portrait laying bare choices he makes about his way of working and living.

‘After creating a group work for eight dancers to be alone on stage is like coming home. But at the same time it starts a fight with yourself, because that is what creating art is about: having something to say, and doubting the next day whether what you say is of any importance to any one.’

Double bill: Jan's performance on 20 November will be paired with a new piece being made at Chapter by Marega Palser. With a working title of In no particular order... it's taking as its starting point the list that Marega began at the start of the year of ideas she wanted to physicalise.


‘Workouts for the mind’
The New York Times

Choreography | Jan Martens
By and with: jan martens

Produced by GRIP vzw
International Bookings: Line Rousseau| A propic

Thank you jeroen bosch, kristin de groot, michel spang, joris van oosterwijk and all the Bproject Partners: Jheronimus Bosch 500 (NL), Comune di Bassano del Grappa (IT), Dance Umbrella London (UK), La Briqueterie/CDC du Val de Marne (FR), D.ID Dance Identity (AT), Festival CEMENT (NL), Dansateliers Rotterdam (NL).

Supported by the Dutch Performing Arts Fund.

Jan Martens is artist in residence at Tanzhaus nrw Düsseldorf.