Arno Schuitemaker

Work

After After

"Set to a new composition by Aart Strootman and an exquisite lighting design by Jean Kalman, Arno Schuitemaker reaffirms his mastery of transformation in After After." — 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 resonates as the heartbeat of the performance, recognizing that throughout the cycles of history, each civilization has reached a climax, only to fall apart — the past is pushing into the present.

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? 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 the fabric of their agency and collective power.

Tender, transcendent, even rebellious, After After is an ode to the attempt. The performance unfolds a physical score that, rather than resistance, 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. 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 flowing 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.

After After: "Masterful", Critic's choice Theaterkrant →