Thomas Steyaert

For various years Thomas Steyaert worked with Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima Vez and danced in Blush (2002-2005), Sonic Boom (2003-2005 / in co-
operation with Toneelgroep Amsterdam under the artistic direction of Ivo van Hove) and the reprise of Les Porteuses de Mauvaises Nouvelles (2005). He also played in Puur (2006) and Spiegel (2008). In 2006 he decided to make his own work and founded Ponyhill vzw, a collective of artists active in dance, performance, music, film and visual art. From 2007 until 2010, Thomas Steyaert was part of a cultural exchange program between Belgian artists and artists from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, organized by the KVS (Royal Flemish Theater, BE) and in co-operation with Ultima Vez. In 2008, Thomas was invited by DOT504 in Prague to create Hidden Landscape. Since 2009 Thomas Steyaert is working with Raul Maia on an ongoing artistic process based on the development of a real-time, non- representational kinetic movement system. Until now the research resulted in three stage performances, The Ballet of Sam Hogue and Augustus Benjamin, The Ballet of Albertina Macchiavello, Johnny McLay and Ignatz van Stereo and The Ballet of Paul Ace and Sunny Lovin, in many site specific performances and in several video works. Within the same context he also develops his individual approach and stage works. In 2014 Thomas was invited by WASP (Working Art Space an Production) in Bucharest to create score#21 - Method of Elimination.  In 2015/2016 he was again invited by WASP and AGORA, Montpellier to make Solatium. The music was made by Amenra, a Belgian post-metal band. Thomas regularly works as a choreographer with Cirk La Putyka, a contemporary circus company based in Prague under the artistic direction of Rosta Novak. During the last few years Thomas became a collaborator with Haris Pasovic from  East  West Theatre Company, Sarajevo BIH. He also works together with Nermin Hamzagic and Selma Spahic, two artists based in Sarajevo and connected to MESS international theater festival. Early in 2016 Thomas founded the collective Moving Island. The collective focuses mainly on socially engaged artistic work. Recently they became part of SHIFT KEY, a format that has enabled artists to present their work in an international context. In 2017 Thomas created If someone speaks it gets lighter, an interactive theater performance at BNP Zenica (Bosnian National Theater).  In 2018/2019 Thomas was once more invited by DOT504 to create Score#44 - Methods of excavation. Since 2014, Thomas started a painting practice. The exposition ’22 paintings, a history of playful battles’ was shown at Jatka78, Prague CZ. In 2019 he will expose his works at the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. Thomas also gives workshops, creates soundscapes and music. His work has been shown in theaters and festivals in Europe and abroad.