- tanz im august / BERLIN (DE)
- theater rotterdam / ROTTERDAM (NL)
- sommerblut festival / COLOGNE (DE)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- theater ins blau / LEIDEN (NL)
- campo nieuwpoort / GHENT (BE)
- pand 18 / DEN BOSCH (NL)
- pand 18 / DEN BOSCH (NL)
- theater rotterdam / ROTTERDAM (NL)
- la raffinerie – charleroi danse / BRUSSELS (BE)
- la raffinerie – charleroi danse / BRUSSELS (BE)
- la raffinerie – charleroi danse / BRUSSELS (BE)
- la raffinerie – charleroi danse / BRUSSELS (BE)
- la raffinerie – charleroi danse / BRUSSELS (BE)
- la raffinerie – charleroi danse / BRUSSELS (BE)
- centre for contemporary arts / GLASGOW (UK)
- on location / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- on location / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- de brakke grond / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- bronks / BRUSSEL (BE)
- bronks / BRUSSEL (BE)
- toneelschuur / HAARLEM (NL)
- toneelschuur / HAARLEM (NL)
- stuk / LEUVEN (BE)
- stuk / LEUVEN (BE)
- théâtre des bernardines / MARSEILLE (FR)
- théâtre des bernardines / MARSEILLE (FR)
- campo nieuwpoort / GHENT (BE)
- campo nieuwpoort / GHENT (BE)
- dansens hus / OSLO (NO)
- dansens hus / OSLO (NO)
- dansens hus / OSLO (NO)
- tanzquartier wien / VIENNA (AT)
- tanzquartier wien / VIENNA (AT)
- wiels / BRUSSELS (BE)
- wiels / BRUSSELS (BE)
- wiels / BRUSSELS (BE)
- corrosia theater / ALMERE (NL)
- theater kikker / UTRECHT (NL)
- theater kikker / UTRECHT (NL)
- chassé theater / BREDA (NL)
- kunstencentrum nona / MECHELEN (BE)
- concordia / ENSCHEDE (NL)
- grand theatre / GRONINGEN (NL)
- lux / NIJMEGEN (NL)
- theater aan de rijn / ARNHEM (NL)
- théâtre de l’oiseau-mouche / ROUBAIX (FR)
- zwolse theaters / ZWOLLE (NL)
- de singel / ANTWERP (BE)
- tbc – ‘s-hertogenbosch / 'S-HERTOGENBOSCH (NL)
- tbc – ‘s-hertogenbosch / 'S-HERTOGENBOSCH (NL)
- theater kikker / UTRECHT (NL)
- chassé theater / BREDA (NL)
- de nieuwe vorst / TILBURG (NL)
- theater aan de rijn / ARNHEM (NL)
- zwolse theaters / ZWOLLE (NL)
- het nationale theater / THE HAGUE (NL)
- bourla schouwburg / ANTWERP (BE)
- radion / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- radion / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- theater kikker / UTRECHT (NL)
- tanzquartier / VIENNA (AT)
- tanzquartier / VIENNA (AT)
- tanzquartier / VIENNA (AT)
- belluard bollwerk / FRIBOURG (CH)
- festival de la cité / LAUSANNE (CH)
- festival de la cité / LAUSANNE (CH)
- santarcangelo festival / SANTARCANGELO DI ROMAGNA (IT)
- santarcangelo festival / SANTARCANGELO DI ROMAGNA (IT)
- de nieuwe vorst / TILBURG (NL)
- corrosia theater / ALMERE (NL)
- la bâtie / GENEVA (CH)
- la bâtie / GENEVA (CH)
- short theatre / ROME (IT)
- short theatre / ROME (IT)
- contemporanea festival / PRATO (IT)
- dansens hus / OSLO (NO)
- dansens hus / OSLO (NO)
- tanzquartier / VIENNA (AT)
- tanzquartier / VIENNA (AT)
- alkantara festival / LISBON (PT)
- alkantara festival / LISBON (PT)
- alkantara festival / LISBON (PT)
- bourla schouwburg / ANTWERP (BE)
- het nationale theater / THE HAGUE (NL)
- theater aan de rijn / ARNHEM (NL)
- nowy teatr / WARSAW (PL)
- nowy teatr / WARSAW (PL)
- theater rotterdam / ROTTERDAM (NL)
- theater antigone / KORTRIJK (BE)
- theater antigone / KORTRIJK (BE)
- le carreau du temple / PARIS (FR)
- le carreau du temple / PARIS (FR)
- sophiensaele / BERLIN (DE)
- sophiensaele / BERLIN (DE)
- le gymnase cdcn / ROUBAIX (FR)
- points communs / CERGY-PONTOISE (FR)
- points communs / CERGY-PONTOISE (FR)
- beursschouwburg / BRUSSELS (BE)
- beursschouwburg / BRUSSELS (BE)
- beursschouwburg / BRUSSELS (BE)
- beursschouwburg / BRUSSELS (BE)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- festival theaterformen / BRAUNSCHWEIG (DE)
- festival theaterformen / BRAUNSCHWEIG (DE)
- julidans / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- julidans / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- julidans / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- la bâtie / GENEVA (CH)
- la bâtie / GENEVA (CH)
- points communs / CERGY-PONTOISE (FR)
- points communs / CERGY-PONTOISE (FR)
- short theatre / ROME (IT)
- short theatre / ROME (IT)
- festival actoral / MARSEILLE (FR)
- festival actoral / MARSEILLE (FR)
- project arts centre / DUBLIN (IE)
- project arts centre / DUBLIN (IE)
- battersea arts centre / LONDON (UK)
- battersea arts centre / LONDON (UK)
- battersea arts centre / LONDON (UK)
- battersea arts centre / LONDON (UK)
- battersea arts centre / LONDON (UK)
- battersea arts centre / LONDON (UK)
- battersea arts centre / LONDON (UK)
- fierce / BIRMINGHAM (UK)
- le trillium / OTTAWA (CA)
- usine-c / MONTRÉAL (CA)
- usine-c / MONTRÉAL (CA)
- kiasma / HELSINKI (FI)
- kiasma / HELSINKI (FI)
- dansstationen / MALMÖ (SE)
- dansens hus / STOCKHOLM (SE)
- dansens hus / STOCKHOLM (SE)
- norrlandsoperan / UMEÅ (SE)
- schouwburg kortrijk / KORTRIJK (BE)
- kunstencentrum nona / MECHELEN (BE)
- kunstencentrum nona / MECHELEN (BE)
- campo nieuwpoort / GHENT (BE)
- campo nieuwpoort / GHENT (BE)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- frascati / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- corrosia theater / ALMERE (NL)
- corrosia theater / ALMERE (NL)
- lux / NIJMEGEN (NL)
- het nationale theater / THE HAGUE (NL)
- het nationale theater / THE HAGUE (NL)
- theater kikker / UTRECHT (NL)
- theater kikker / UTRECHT (NL)
- theater ins blau / LEIDEN (NL)
- theater ins blau / LEIDEN (NL)
- toneelschuur / HAARLEM (NL)
- toneelschuur / HAARLEM (NL)
- theater rotterdam / ROTTERDAM (NL)
- theater rotterdam / ROTTERDAM (NL)
- theater aan de rijn / ARNHEM (NL)
- verkadefabriek / DEN BOSCH (NL)
- verkadefabriek / DEN BOSCH (NL)
- zwolse theaters / ZWOLLE (NL)
- zwolse theaters / ZWOLLE (NL)
- de nieuwe vorst / TILBURG (NL)
- de nieuwe vorst / TILBURG (NL)
- de lieve vrouw / AMERSFOORT (NL)
- de lieve vrouw / AMERSFOORT (NL)
- Natlab / EINDHOVEN (NL)
- grand theatre / GRONINGEN (NL)
- grand theatre / GRONINGEN (NL)
- bijlmerparktheater / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- stuk / LEUVEN (BE)
- stuk / LEUVEN (BE)
- dansens hus / OSLO (NO)
- dansens hus / OSLO (NO)
- tanz im august / BERLIN (DE)
- tanz im august / BERLIN (DE)
- tanz im august / BERLIN (DE)
- festival città delle 100 scale / POTENZA (IT)
- theaterfestival / BRUSSELS (BE)
- theaterfestival / BRUSSELS (BE)
- nederlandse dansdagen / MAASTRICHT (NL)
- afrovibes / AMSTERDAM (NL)
- transform festival / LEEDS (GB)
- spielart festival / MUNICH (DE)
- spielart festival / MUNICH (DE)
- festival moving in november / HELSINKI (FI)
- festival moving in november / HELSINKI (FI)
- festival d’automne / PARIS (FR)
- festival d’automne / PARIS (FR)
- festival d’automne / PARIS (FR)
- vancouver push festival / VANCOUVER (CA)
- vancouver push festival / VANCOUVER (CA)
- vancouver push festival / VANCOUVER (CA)
- usine-c / MONTRÉAL (CA)
- usine-c / MONTRÉAL (CA)
- usine-c / MONTRÉAL (CA)
- le trillium / OTTAWA (CA)
- le trillium / OTTAWA (CA)
- le trillium / OTTAWA (CA)
- pact zollverein / ESSEN (DE)
- pact zollverein / ESSEN (DE)
- new baltic dance festival / VILNIUS (LT)
- new baltic dance festival / VILNIUS (LT)
- new baltic dance festival / VILNIUS (LT)
- new baltic dance festival / VILNIUS (LT)
- sommerblut festival / COLOGNE (DE)
- zomerfabriek / ANTWERP (BE)
- zomerfabriek / ANTWERP (BE)
- zomerfabriek / ANTWERP (BE)
- tanzfaktur / COLOGNE (DE)
- nederlands theater festival / AMSTERDAM (NL)
Cherish Menzo
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Cherish Menzo (°1988, The Netherlands) is a choreographer and dancer, who lives in Brussels and Amsterdam. In 2013 she graduated from The Urban Contemporary (JMD) at the ‘Hogeschool voor de Kunsten’ in Amsterdam.
Cherish has appeared in the work of Lisbeth Gruwez (THE SEA WITHIN), Jan Martens (THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER, ANY ATTEMPT WILL END IN CRUSHED BODIES AND SHATTERED BONES), Nicole Beutler (6: THE SQUARE), as well as collaborations with the likes of Akram Khan, Ula Sickle, Olivier Dubois and Eszter Salamon. Her powerful movement language also comes into its own in her own work, which tours internationally.
In 2016, she and Nicole Geertruida made EFES, an exhausting duet in which perfection and fallibility raise intriguing questions about how we like to see human beings. Sorry, But I Feel Slightly Disidentified… (2018), a solo made by Benjamin Kahn for (and with input from) Cherish, was an attempt to create a cartography of how we experience and meet the other. The seeds for this production were laid within the framework of Fraslab, after which an artistic dialogue between Cherish and Frascati Producties was initiated. Hereafter, Cherish made LIVE (2018), a cross between dance performance and pop/rock concert in collaboration with musician Müşfik Can Müftüoğlu.
In 2019 Cherish worked at Frascati Producties on JEZEBEL, a dance performance inspired by the phenomenon Video Vixen from the hip-hop clips of the 90s. Jezebel, a contemporary hip-hop honey, refuses to be defined by others and shakes off her image by deconstructing and redefining it.
In May 2022, during Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels, DARKMATTER premiered, a duet in which she and Camilo Mejía Cortés, with the help of the distorted rap choir, search for ways to detach their bodies and the daily reality in which they move from a forced perception. In the context of DARKMATTER, Cherish also gives workshops on the chopped & screwed technique, a process from hip-hop music that Cherish applies to the moving and performing body in the performance.
As part of Productiehuis Theater Rotterdam’s research programme Welcome To Our Guesthouse, Cherish made KILLED AND EXTENDED DARLINGS: SUBTLE WHINE in autumn 2023, an audiovisual performative landscape that embraces the subtle nuances and mechanics of gyration.
Cherish is currently working on FRANK – THE MONSTROUS AND HORROR THE 3RD PART OF A SPECULATIVE FABULATED TRILOGY (working title, premiering May 2025). In continuation of JEZEBEL and DARKMATTER, in FRANK, distortion will once again be one of the main ingredients to generate material. In addition, Cherish will look into the action of decay and discover how something gradually breaking down and getting less or worse can be another attempt to distort a form or information.
Cherish received the Amsterdam FRINGE and FRINGE International Bursary Awards 2019 with JEZEBEL. JEZEBEL was selected in 2020 for both the Dutch and Flemish Theaterfestival, which presented a jury selection of the best performances of the season and received the prestigious Charlotte Köhler award by the Prins Bernhard Foundation (Amsterdam) in 2022.
DARKMATTER was selected for both the Belgian Theater Festival and its Dutch counterpart. With DARKMATTER, Cherish received the BNG Bank Theater Prize (2023) and the Dutch Drama Jury prize for best direction (2023).
For her artistic work, she is interested in the transformation of the body on stage and in the “embodiment” of different physical images. Implementing distortion, decay, and dissonance, Cherish attempts to detach bodies from forced perceptions and their daily corporeal realities, underlining the complexity and contradictory nature of images that seem recognizable at first glance. Glitching the ‘’common’’ lexical, the lexical of the speaking being, she seeks the Uncanny, the Enigmatic, and the Monstrous to give shape to – and materialize speculative forms and fictions.