I am Bob

In I am Bob, Imre and Marne van Opstal work with a large ensemble of sixteen dancers. At the heart of the Dutch sibling duo’s piece lies the theme of identity. “Bob” serves as a metaphor for the modern human being, caught and worn down by the endless systems of belonging—career, everyday life, cultural background, and societal expectations. This entanglement within a web of dependencies is danced through synchronized group formations, repeatedly interrupted by soloist interventions. Individual outbursts and collective reintegration, the pressure to conform and the striving for freedom, unfold in a dynamic tension. An at times absurd undertone runs through the work, highlighting the duo’s stylistic versatility. Following last year’s emotionally charged I’m afraid to forget your smile, the van Opstals have now also been nominated for this year’s German Theatre Prize DER FAUST with Voodoo Waltz—a production co-created with Hessisches Staatsballett at Schauspielhaus Bochum.