Ser Visto - to be seen

Hip Hop - Both the beauty and repulsiveness you see in things, are reflections of how you look at yourself. Your eyes show you what you want to see, which determines how people present themselves to these eyes of yours. We, the people, are always observed, objectified, and negotiated, though often without being seen. We need to take over this one-sided perspective on dancers, Hip Hop culture, young students, disability, women, immigrants, people of color and the queer community. We will tell you our narrative ourselves and show you what the world could look like when power systems wouldn't govern the way we behave and see each other.

Contemporary - Following the theme of visibility, we show you a topic that many try to hide from or feel ashamed of; that being the process of grief.  We show you 5 pieces which follow the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression acceptance.  Grief is a universal human experience, yet it presents itself differently to everyone.  As Mark Twain once wrote, "Nothing that grieves us can be called little; by the external laws of proportion a child's loss of a doll and a king's loss of a crown are events of the same size."

High Heels - O que significa ser mulher (What does it mean to be a woman). Does it mean that we have to be perfect without a flaw in our being? Does that mean we have to constantly be pitted against one another in order to be at the top? Does it mean we can’t hold powerful positions because we are “too emotional” or does it mean we have to be sexy, sexual but not too much cause you’ll get called out of your name? Perhaps it means that being intelligent is good but not too much… Does it mean we have to hide certain parts of ourselves to be more appealing to others?

“As mulheres são multifacetadas, somos líderes. Somos mulheres de carreira, pintoras, a pessoa desajeitada social na festa, dançarina, a cara bonita com vários diplomas nós somos as mulheres que não têm medo de explorar sua sensualidade.
As mulheres não precisam da sociedade para encaixotá-las em categorias ou decidir quem serão, como devem se vestir e se comportar.”

“Women are multifaceted, we are leaders. we are career women, painters, the social awkward person at the party, the dancer, the pretty face with multiple degrees. we are the women who are not afraid to tap into their sensuality, women don't need society to box them into categories or decide who they will be, how they are supposed to dress and behave.”

Mulheres vocês determina com suas próprias regras como quer ser vista.

Ser Visto is about witnessing and passive involvement.

Take a seat, sit down and listen closely, as existing worldviews make space for new images. Enjoy our dances, carefully choreographed to spread our message with love.

Organised by Erasmus Dance Society
Erasmus Dance Society 33rd Board: Demi Zwijnenburg, Cecile Levaique, Mahima Panjwani, & Sara Lugowska
Directors & Choreographers: Aya Batista, Dyon Asmoro, Theresa Hamm, Jalaja Ahuja & Veerle de Hann
Photography: Doug Hobbs (@hobblas)