Due to technical reasons, this performance – originally scheduled to take place at the AB Theatre – will be held in a half-standing, half-seated format.

20u30
FEMKE x LANDER GYSELINCK: FIGURES OF SPEECH
For her new creation, Femke Gyselinck (GRIP) forges family ties with brother and musician Lander Gyselinck (STUFF.). They once created a duet – the 2016 show Flamer – within which they reversed roles: with Femke as drummer and Lander as dancer. This time they invite seven dancers and four musicians on stage and they each set the rhythm for their own discipline. Lander is good at rhythm, Femke at lyric poetry. Together, they find in each other a form of structured improvisation.

FEMKE GYSELINCK x GRIP
Femke Gyselinck is a dancer and choreographer. After completing her studies at P.A.R.T.S in 2006, she worked as a freelance dancer together with the likes of American (Brussels resident) choreographer Eleanor Bauer, American (also Brussels resident) Andros Zins-Browne and composer Esther Venrooy.

She worked for nine years as artistic assistant to Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker/Rosas and is part of the faculty of P.A.R.T.S. In her own work, Femke seeks a language of dance that is closely intertwined with music and that combines a bold performative element with a delicate form of expressivity.

LANDER GYSELINCK x HIHATS IN TREES
The musical basis for Figures of Speech is established by Hihats In Trees, initially Lander Gyselinck’s solo project. Hihats In Trees came about through Gyselinck’s doctoral research and mixes percussion with the philosophy of club music. Think: South African gqom, Detroit techno, hip-hop and ambient. That resulted in the albums Disleksikon (2020) and Artefacts (2024). The latter was released via Maloca, the label of citymate Le Motel. For Figures of Speech, Gyselinck assembles an ensemble of four percussionists that includes (aside from himself) Hui-Chi Li, Mien Heyvaert and Wouter van Asselbergh.

Lander Gyselinck has been a welcome guest to AB for more than a decade. As artist in residence we first received him in 2014 with his band STUFF. Later to be followed by other projects and collaborations like Lander & Adriaan, BeraadGeslagen, and his collaboration with Zwangere Guy for the album Pourriture Noble. By the way, he will be present at AB multiple times in 2026: with Ragini Trio and KVR, among others.

CREDITS:
CONCEPT & CHOREOGRAPHY: Femke Gyselinck
MUSICAL COMPOSITION: Lander Gyselinck
CREATION & PERFORMANCE: Amanda Barrio Charmelo, Mei-Li Dong Páez, Femke Gyselinck, Tarek Halaby, Jb Portier, Thomas Vantuycom, Sue-Yeon Youn and/or Jacob Bousset, Mariana Miranda
MUSIC: Lander Gyselinck, Mien Heyvaert, Hui-Chi Li, Wouter Van Asselbergh and /or Falk Schrouwen
LIGHTS: Elke Verachtert
SOUND ENGINEER: Milan van Doren, Jo Heijen
SCENOGRAPHY: Aslı Çiçek
SCENOGRAPHY PROJECT ASSISTANCE: Olivia de Bree, Francesca Desantis
COSTUMES: Miguel Peñaranda Olmeda - olmedam
DRAMATURGY AND SO MUCH MORE: Steven Michel
PHOTOGRAPHY: Robbrecht Desmet
TEASER, TRAILER: Robbrecht Desmet (CAMERA: Ivo Maes, Jorn Plucieniczak, INTERNSHIP: Pearl Salomon White)
TEXT ZINE: Tessa Hall
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Nick Mattan
DANCE INTERNSHIP: Jacob Bousset
TECHNICIANS ON TOUR: Jan Lettany, Milan Van Doren
PRODUCTION: GRIP (Francisca Alves, freelance Bert De Bock, Hanne Doms, Anneleen Hermans, Rudi Meulemans, Klaartje Oerlemans, Jennifer Piasecki, Sylvie Svanberg, Nele Verreyken, Kato Wilms)
INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: A propic - Line Rousseau, Marion Gauvent
CO-PRODUCTION: Concertgebouw Brugge & KAAP / Dans in Brugge, kunstencentrum nona, Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond, NEXT festival - La rose des vents – scène nationale Lille Métropole – Villeneuve d’Ascq, VIERNULVIER, Ictus, Perpodium
RESIDENCIES: Vaisseau Mère, P.A.R.T.S., Ultima Vez, STUK, VIERNULVIER, KVS, De Brakke Grond, Concertgebouw Brugge
THANKS TO Kaaitheater
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF: the Flemish Government de Vlaamse Overheid, Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government via UFund, de Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (the Flemish Community Commission)