Michael Lazic - director, choreography and dance

At the age of seven, Michael Lazic started with Thai chi and martial arts, then switched to Olympic gymnastics and became an electronics engineer. In private schools he qualified in classical and modern dance. He became a professional dancer in companies in Brussels, Charleroi, Germany and France. His most famous production in our country is undoubtedly ‘A Body in Translation’ (2008), a performance that refers to the Serbian-Croatian civil war for which he collaborated with visual artist Hans Op De Beeck. He previously made various solos and performances. In 2007 he made the dance short film ‘Cocoon’ together with director Jeroen Bogaert. In 2009 Lazic created with his dance company cie M.E.S.S., in collaboration with Hans Op De Beeck the dance and video show ‘Staging Reality’, which was shown at the international dance festival ‘Dance Week Zagreb’.
Between 2013 and 2016, cie M.E.S.S. was the permanent dance company in Theater aan de Stroom. Lazic and co-choreographer Elles Grzybek created successful productions such as: Black Swan, Soletude (in collaboration with Jef Neve), Pi, Bach & Brel and ‘de Stervende Zwaan’. After three years, cie M.E.S.S. managed to build up an own audience.
After the theatre closed in 2016, cie M.E.S.S. co-operate for the first time together with composer / guitarist Peter Verhelst on the performance Hallelujah, which successfully premiered in November 2019 in the Sint-Anna church in Antwerp. The audience remained loyal to them. During 3 days more than 1200 people came to see the show.

Elles Grzybek - assistant, choreography and dance

Elles Grzybek started learning classical dance at the age of 17 only and two years later she was admitted to the professional ballet academy “Institut für Bühnentanz” in Cologne/Germany for a professional education.
Her path led to Belgium where she danced both classical and neoclassical repertoire and later evolved to dance theatre.

In 2011 she made her debut as a choreographer with her first solo choreographie PI = 3,1415… .
From 2014 on together with Lazic she created successful dance Performances at “Theater aan de Stroom” and they formed a perfect counterpart in their choreographic oeuvre.
Since 2016 she has been following Jinen Butoh dance by master Atsushi Takenouchi in Tuscany, Italy.

Peter Verhelst- composition and guitar/ud/soundscapes

Peter was born in 1976 in Eeklo, a Flemish town in Belgium. At the age of 10 he decided he wanted to become a professional guitar player. When he was 18 he left his hometown to study jazz guitar. He graduated at Jazz Studio in Antwerp, the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp and Lemmens Institute of Louvain.

Although he was schooled as a jazz guitar player, his passion for Arabic, Indian, flamenco and classical music deeply influenced his way of playing and composing. That is why his projects are often classified as 'world music', 'crossover' or 'fusion'.

Peter plays in various bands with different styles. Modern jazz with 'Criterium3' and 'Multitude'; interpretations of classical pieces with 'Bel Ayre' and world music with 'Dame Jeanne', 'Saragon' and 'Indio LOURO'. He also writes for theatre productions as 'Tal en Thee' and 'STAU' and teaches jazz guitar at the Jazzstudio in Antwerp. He plays with musicians that come from different backgrounds and genres: Lieselot de Wilde, Chris Mentens, Herman Pardon, Baba Sissoko, Saulius Petreikis, Dick van der Harst and Chris Dane. Peter is interested in reaching out and play all over the world and setting up international collaborations and partnerships.
www.peter-verhelst.com

Kris Dane - vocals

His music has the accurateness of humility. The intensity of an adventure. The vertigo of the renewed. The delicacy of a trip without object. He lived through the realization of his new album like an adrenaline shoot.
Something similar to what you feel when you're engaged in a calculated risk exercise.

To ensure both excellence and a form of security, he is surrounded by musicians who understand the rhythm of his breath and know how to infiltrate his expectations. Consistently, safe from distractions, the purity of the notes sets the tone. Gathers what is flying apart. Puts love in it and time all around.

That's it, the sound of Kris Dane. A volatile concentrate of chills. An authentic musician, as close to the need to create as it can get. A strong and complicated man who loves the beautiful. A free and crazed artist who stopped looking for the key to the mystery of musical creation to be caught off guard by the incidents. Creator of songs that give meaning to emotions.
www.krisdane.com

Yevgeniy Kolesnyk - dance

Yevgeniy – was born in Ukraine and now lives in Antwerp.  He has danced in Belgium for over than 18 years. He received his classical ballet training in the Kiev State Ballet School, and then joined the Kiev Opera House where he worked for three years.  In 2000, he joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders where he performed for the remainder of his dancing career, retiring in 2016 as a Principal dancer. He is married and has two children.

During his career as a dancer, he worked with and was inspired by many renowned choreographers, such as: William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Jan Fabre, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Marcia Haydee and many others.

One of the last productions he danced was Cherkaoui`s “Faun”.  He performed this piece with his wife, Virginia Hendricksen, in Antwerpen/Ghent opera houses, the Houston International Dance Festival “Dance Salad”, and the Nijinskiy Dance Festival in Perm, Russia.

Yevgeniy participated in many dance competitions in Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Japan and Brazil. He was awarded two gold medals and received the title of “Best Dancer”.

While working with Ballet of Flanders, he choreographed 10 pieces in the company’s choreographic workshop, which received positive reviews.

Veronique Lievin - dance

I grow up with passion,honesty,motivation,ambition,destined to artistic live ...
sinds there i knew ,i become a ballerina and i 'm still going on.
Following a multicolor road,curious,i quickly start to experiments differents paterns.
My first love dancing,acting ,siging,whriting,play instruments(saxo-piano)martial arts,anatomy,ect...relating to be to be the best honnest artist...
It's part of my everyday live.In september 2018,i create my one compagny DANCECHOCTHEATER,show my first creation "Des Mots et Des Gestes in march 2019 at Espace Lumen In brussels.
Be dancing as professional all around the world sinds 1989.
I'm also a Pilates instructor sinds 2011.Yoga follows sinds 2004..

Vasilis Stefanapoulus - double bass

Vasilis specializes in classical and jazz double bass. He studied at the Royal Conservatorium of The Hague, receiving bachelor degrees in jazz and classical double bass, and a masters degree in jazz, with teachers: Hein van de Geyn, Frans van der Hoeven, Uli Glassman, Tony Overwater, Jean Paul Everts, Knut Guettler and Quirijn van Regteren Altena.
Vasilis performs professionally in various combos and styles of music. He appeared as a soloist with Hellas Orchestra of Patras, won the International Jazz competition "Motives for Jazz" with the Poly Quartet, in Belgium, and performed with the world famous guitarist George Benson at the North Sea Jazz Festival. Vasilis tours in venues and festivals around the world.
http://www.vasiliss.com/

Yves Peeters - percussion

Yves volgt zijn muziekopleiding aan het Lemmensinstituut te Leuven, waar hij in 2002 afstudeert.
In die periode volgt hij drumles bij Dré Pallemaerts, Billy Hart en Keith Copeland en neemt hij deel aan verscheidene muziekstages in binnen- en buitenland.

Na zijn studies treedt hij regelmatig op met bekende muzikanten uit de Belgische jazzscène, waaronder Kris Defoort, Bert Joris, Ben Sluijs, Nicolas Thys en Jack Van Poll.
Yves is te horen op een twintigtal albums en voelt zich thuis in diverse muziekstijlen, gaande van subtiele akoestische muziek tot extraverte jazz en stevige rock.
Hij leidt regelmatig eigen projecten en speelt ook bij diverse bands als sideman. Momenteel is hij live aan het werk te zien met Bel Ayre, Guillaume Vierset-Harvest Group, Haven, Kleptomatics en Saragon.
www.yvespeeters.com