Janskerk | Danskerk

The iconic Sint Janskerk on the Vrijthof square will transform into a Dance Church for one day. In this peaceful and quiet location, you will find an almost magical place where dance can be experienced in its purest form. Without illusion, decor or theatre lighting.

As an audience, you are close to the dance floor, on the skin of the dancers. So close that the smallest details become visible, and you feel the dancers in all their humanity and vulnerability crawl under your own skin. 

During the first Dansdagen Haarlem, a number of choreographers were asked to create so-called Circle Solos, where the audience sits in a circle around the dancer. Two of these solos can now also be seen at the Danskerk. Melisa Diktaș draws inspiration from her Kurdish roots for a fulminant solo accompanied by the Dahul, a drum that makes the ground move. It is a reference to Kurdish issues, and the pain of other oppressed people. Sedrig Verwoert created a breathtaking solo for dancer Comfort Kondehson in which he takes you on a profound, transformative journey exploring the complexities of identity and resilience.