CANCEL BERTHA moves to its own rhythm- a playful blend of energy, curated chaos, and unexpected creativity. The performance reflects Jan Martens’ signature approach: reimagining dance as a space for individuality, connection, and subtle humor. Scenes flow seamlessly from one moment to the next, blurring the boundaries between moments of ecstatic group energy and sequences of suspended intimacy.

In CANCEL BERTHA, music isn’t always what you hear—it’s what you see and feel. True to Martens’ fascination with rhythm, structure, and music scores, the dancers’ movements become their own soundscape. Silence holds as much weight as motion, and patterns emerge with geometry in delightful ways.

CANCEL BERTHA is bold without being brash, playful, yet precise. It’s a dense dance evening that draws inspiration from polyrhythms and a love for layered storytelling. The Carte Blanche ensemble crafts a performance that balances the poppy, the avant-garde, and the deeply human.

• Please note: Strobe lights are used in CANCEL BERTHA. It is a calm, pulsing strobe that lasts for approx. 3 mins. The strobe light effect is used approx. 50 mins into the performance.

About Jan Martens

Jan Martens (°1984, Belgium) studied in Tilburg and Antwerp, graduating in 2006. His choreography explores body communication and recontextualizes movement to redefine the performer-audience relationship. Notable works include THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER (2014), RULE OF THREE (2017, nominated for the Zwaan Award), any attempt will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones (Festival d’Avignon 2020), and his latest work VOICE NOISE (2024). Martens co-founded GRIP in 2014 and is an associate artist at DE SINGEL Antwerp and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. He received the Charlotte Köhler Prize in 2015.

Videos

Performance teaser

Performance introduction

Visual teaser with choreographer interview

Short process teaser

Process teaser