Skótoseme shows a woman trying to keep what she feels on the inside under control on the outside. There’s a minimum of movement, executed on one spot, evolving from introverted to extraverted, but always under control. The tight choreographic form at the beginning is in stark contrast to the raw, improvisational form near the end of the solo. The music of Diamanda Galás accentuates the woman’s turmoil below the surface.

Ann Van de Broek on Skótoseme:
“When dancing a solo, you’re alone – vulnerable. People are watching you and there’s the fear of failure, of projecting the wrong thing or coming across the wrong way. In Skótoseme I go back to basics: I go on stage and give the most honest impression of what is going on inside me. I limit my freedom of movement in the space, choose specific movements that fully confront me with my feelings, the public and my fears.

Working with artist Germaine Kruip stems from a long relationship with one another. She is Dutch, but grew up in Antwerp. She went back to Amsterdam to study and we reconnected there. We are very much in tune artistically; Germaine designed the costume and developed the lighting design that contains the essence of what we both had in mind. Skótoseme is a perfect fusion of our characters and our ideas.”

choreography Ann Van den Broek
dance Ann Van den Broek
lighting design Germaine Kruip
costume Germaine Kruip
music Diamanda Galás with John Paul Jones The Sporting Life – Skótoseme (Kill Me)
premiere January 28, 1995, Amsterdam (NL)

Skótoseme was commissioned by Dansgroep Krisztina de Châtel (NL) as a part of Amai!