Arno Schuitemaker

Work

After After

"Arno Schuitemaker solidifies his mastery of transformation in After After with a new composition by Aart Strootman and an exquisite lighting design by Jean Kalman." — Critic's Choice (Theaterkrant)

After After presents a world in transition. Arno Schuitemaker builds on the radical and visionary ideas of Federico Campagna, one of today’s most relevant philosophers: ‘How can we help the creation of new worlds out of the ruins of our own?’ This question beats as the heart of the performance, recognizing that throughout the cycles of history, each civilization has reached a climax, only to fall apart.

With eyes on the nearing expiration of western modernity, marked by relentless economic, environmental, and cultural extraction, we are faced with pressing questions: what if we have already surpassed the culmination point? What could emerge next? What could happen if we choose to recreate? Unmaking what is built comes first. Driven by the strength of human interdependence and reinvention, After After delves into a speculative exploration of how a new world could find its way, acknowledging that a world doesn’t simply exist; it must be embodied, nurtured, and sustained through song and story.

In search of their own voices and ways of moving, from one extreme to the other, the diverse cast of seven dancers becomes a living symbol of a shifting community. With a white canvas laid at their feet, they create a vibrant playground to redefine relationships, frame-by-frame crafting care into the fabric of their agency and collective power.

Arno Schuitemaker proposes a tender, transcendent, even rebellious, ode to the attempt. The performance unfolds a physical score that, rather than resisting, breaks into the surrender of its own end: dying from within, then surging back to life in an intense burst of energy with an expansive fluidity of movement styles. After After is a fiery dance at the crossroads of time.

Press
Recent Japanese studies show that watching sports is good for mental health. They should measure the effect of After After: plenty of space and energy coursing through your body as a spectator (…) It’s exhilarating to be part of that. — De Groene Amsterdammer

After After hypnotizes. — Het Parool

Find the performance dates and credits by scrolling down.

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Calendar

Credits

Creation: Arno Schuitemaker
Performers: Jim Buskens, Camilla Bundel, Ashley Ho, Frederik Kaijser, Orla McCarthy, Angelo Petracca and Paolo Yao
Dramaturgy: Miguel A. Melgares
Music: Aart Strootman
Light design: Jean Kalman
Scenography: Jean Kalman, Arno Schuitemaker
Costumes: SADAK
Technical production: Vincent Beune, Ruben Lijbers, Sander Schaart
Rehearsal assistant: Mark Christoph Klee
Vocal coach: Maria Magdalena Kozłowska
Production: Björn van Raaij, Lynn Gommes
Publicity: Jannes Heidinga
Photos: Peteris Viksna

The movement material is created in collaboration with the performers.

After After is a production of SHARP/ArnoSchuitemaker and is supported by Fonds Podiumkunsten, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Ammodo, Fonds 21, and BNG Cultuurfonds. With many thanks to Julidans/ITA.

The End - part 2 on April 15 and 16 at Frascati in Amsterdam →