Charles Pas (Belgium, 1998) is a creator of physical, visual theatre performances. For him, movement is the way to address audiences directly on their experience and feelings. In his performances, he searches for forms and narratives that touch and represent the existential dilemmas of today. His work moves somewhere between performance, absurd theatre and magical realism. His work takes us into a timeless no man's land. Charles Pas creates theatrical translations of his characters' inner worlds by playing with dream and reality. He depicts emotional non-linear quests marked by melancholy, humour and the urge for the unknown. His performances are always an ode to the transitory nature of performance and theatre: the spectator is part of a palpably fragile, sensory perception that exists only in that moment. Thus, each time he unveils something of the present condition humaine. The main dualities in his work are utopia and dystopia, chaos and control, victim and aggressor, connection and displacement.

"No one is born with equal opportunities. Everyone has to find their own way. With that comes pain and happiness. I work with (my own) fear, trauma and inequality. Deep down, I fear never finding true connection with my fellow human beings or losing someone I love because of my own mistakes. Making performances is my ultimate attempt to understand that fear. I hope that - by seeing how bad everything can get - people can actively decide to do the right thing. By depicting what I loathe, I steer towards hope. I create in order to reflect on my life and the lives of those around me. With elements from our reality, I create something new, so that I can defy existing spatial and cultural boundaries in my dramatic world."

During the New Adventures residency at ICK Dans Amsterdam in 2021, Charles created Motel: a visual dance-theatre performance with a fully integrated film. Motel is a poetic interpretation of a panic attack. The space and objects in the room are part of the anxiety visions - nothing is what it seems, everything changes according to the state of mind.

In 2022-2023, Charles performs and creates the physical solo Victory Boogie Woogie in co-production with Likeminds. As a lost young man, he confronts the everyday, trying to tame it and look for what lies behind it. What does it mean when you can't find a connection, desperation takes over, but you have no choice but to keep going? With minimal use of theatrical means, in a virtuoso physical language, he engages in dialogue with a compelling, fully sampled sound set.

In 2023, Charles Pas tours his solo Victory Boogie Woogie in the Moving Futures Festival. He travels through all cities of the festival!

photo © Diederick Bulstra