Club Guy & Roni

Delve into Islands of Empathy (In a Sea of Chaos) by Club Guy & Roni, as they unravel the power of empathy in shaping our interconnected existence. Amidst a society drowning in individualism, Roni Haver's mesmerizing choreography harmonizes self-reliance and collective support, uniting dancers on a captivating journey of profound connection.

Islands of Empathy (in a Sea of Chaos), the latest performance by Club Guy & Roni and Slagwerk Den Haag, focuses on the theme of empathy and how it can be the driving force in the way people live together.   

In Dutch culture, we are taught to constantly be the best version of ourselves; as individuals, and independent of the needs of others. Whereas in countless other cultures, the emphasis is instead on the well-being of the collective and much less on personal development. A risk of empathy is forming such tight-knit groups that the gap with people outside that group widens.   

Islands of Empathy is a collaboration with Senegalese griots; storytellers who keep traditions and history alive with dance, music and poetry. In Senegal, Club Guy & Roni met spiritual leaders, dancers and artists and talked to with about empathy and community. These conversations form the blueprint for Islands of Empathy.  

The combination of beats played live by Slagwerk Den Haag and Pape Seck and the characteristic explosive energy of Club Guy & Roni's ensemble makes for an overwhelming dance performance.  

Islands of Empathy (in a Sea of Chaos) is part of Club Guy & Roni's Human Odyssey, which explores various human feelings such as love, fear, happiness and empathy from a cross-cultural perspective. 

Credits:
Concept en choreografie: Roni Haver, Guy Weizman
Cast dansers: Camilo Chapela, Angela Herenda, Sofiko Nachkebiya, Adam Peterson, Igor Podsiadly, Awa Seck, Eliana Stragapede & Jésula Toussaint Visser
Muzikanten: Pape Seck, Niels Meliefste (Slagwerk Den Haag)
Compositie: THYS
Lichtontwerp: Maarten van Rossem
Dramaturgie: Friederike Schubert