Hans Van den Broeck studied psychology at the KU Leuven in the 80's. While studying in Leuven, he also participated in workshops with choreographers and theater makers at the art centre STUC, that was often frequented by the big names of contemporary dance. Subsequently, he studied film at the City University of New York.
After returning to Belgium he auditioned for Alain Platel and danced in several of his productions. He became one of the choreographers of les ballets C de la B. That collective expanded into an artistic platform for various choreographers: Koen Augustijnen, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Christine De Smedt, Lisi Estaras, Alain Platel, Fred Toffer and Hans Van den Broeck. For les ballets C de la B he made a series of productions that toured international: How to approach a dog, Everyman, Eat, Eat, Eat, Au Progrès, La Sortie, Induced Sleep and Lac des Singes. In these physical works of ‘dance-theatre’ that are strongly influenced by Jan Fabre's work, the stubbornness in communication and the boundary between reality and fiction are recurring themes. Productions as La sortie and Lac des Singes investigate animality and cruelty, psychological aspects that people develop mainly in groups. The Norwegian choreographer, dancer and performance artistMette Edvardsen collaborated with Hans Van den Broeck before she started developing her own work. She was a performer in Eat, eat, eat, Au Progrès, La sortie and assisted director / choreographer Hans Van den Broeck on Lac des singes.
Choreographic work for SOIT
In 2002 he left les ballets C de la B. He founded his own performing arts company SOIT, that is based in Brussels. SOIT is an abbreviation for Stay Only If Temporary. The company works with various stage artists and dancers. Its composition varies for each production. Hans Van den Broeck's main productions for the company are Almost Dark, En Servicio ', We were them and Messiah Run!. In addition, there are also a series of other productions, including Deed of Arrangement, Durchgang and Café Prückel. One of his latest productions is The Lee Ellroy Show, inspired by the novelMy Dark Places, in which the American author James Ellroy describes the emotional impact of the unsolved murder of his mother Jean. This production and other recent productions and the open improv evenings Roseland 2013, Roseland 2014 and Roseland 2017 are made in co-production or in collaboration with les Brigittines - Contemporary Arts Centre for Movement, Brussels. Hans van den Broeck himself describes his work as raw, visceral, uncompromising, committed, suggestive, poetic, visual and cinematographic. His interest lies in creating both multidisciplinary performing arts and video projects. He also regularly conducts workshops, which he himself calls 'workshows' because they usually result in a public performance in a professional environment. Cooperation and exploration are central. Together they form a trilogy, consisting ofSettlement, Nomads, and Homeland.
Work as an audiovisual artist
Hans van den Broeck directed several semi-fiction videos, such as Eyes on the back, Ways of watching, Odeur de Sainteté, Alivetoo and Homeland. His video Our Circumscribed Days, a rhythmic portrait of Moscow, won the Prix du Jury at the festival Entrainements #4 in Paris in 2003. The video was shown in Brussels in 2001 at the Kunstenfestivaldesarts, and in 2017 at Argos, centre for art and media (as part of the programSTEP UP! Belgian Dance and Performance on Camera 1970-2000 Chapter 3.
Performing arts productions
For SOIT:
Deed of Arrangement
Almost Dark
Durchgang
En Servicio
We Was Them
Café Prückel
Messiah Run!
Tre Systrar
Café Italo-belge
Roadrage
The Lee Ellroy Show
Celestial Commute
For les ballets C de la B:
Alchemie
O Boom
Mussen
How to approach a dog
Bonjour madame, comment allez-vous aujourd'hui, il fait beau, Il va sans doute pleuvoir,...
