The performance IMPORT EXPORT is rooted in a deep feeling of
helplessness towards the dramatic events surrounding us. Awareness of
being involved, and reflection about the way we handle it as
individuals morph into a creation in which dance and live music
illustrate this quest, each in its own way.


Bart
Vandewege creates beautiful orchestrations of French Baroque pieces
that blend particularly well into the concept. Sam Serruys took care of
the contemporary electronic music section. Together with the Kirke
String Quartet and altus Steve Dugardin, the team has created a
particularly moving performance. Without them, IMPORT EXPORT wouldn't
have been possible.



Koen Augustijnen, May 2007



The enthusiastic collaboration between Steve Dugardin and Koen
Augustijnen in 'bache' cried for a continuation. They share a passion
for French Baroque music. Profane songs of composers as Lambert,
Charpentier, Clérambault and Couperin contain a high emotional and
passionate quality.



Composer Bart Vandewege arranged the music, and in accordance to the
process, composer Sam Serruys added electronic music to it. The
chemistry and bringing together the existence of Baroque music and
contemporary electronic music are intensively explored. The 'Kirke
string quartet' of Antwerp interprets and plays the compositions of
Bart Vandewege.



Six dancers/acrobats join altus Steve Dugardin and the four 'live'
musicians of the Kirke string quartet on stage. Men and women. The main
theme is powerlessness on different levels. Besides the thematic and
theatrical data, this creation is a further research on a morphology
which comes to existence through the combination of different dance
styles, performances, theatre, acrobatics, music and visual art.


"This CD is in fact a dance company production, with specially
rearranged French Baroque music (Lambert, Charpentier, Hahn, Clouperin
and Clérambault) by Bart Vandenwege, a fine simplified arrangement,
with a few additional arrangements of contemporary electronic music by
Sam Serruys. This electronic part does not always feel very necessary,
but it still fits well as an alternation in harmony with the classical
feeling and confirms there is a contemporary inspiration behind the
production, although often the Baroque part brings back something of
the real early inspiration, be it in a slight new context. I assume Guy
Van Nueten, composer/pianist, was originally invited for the electronic
arrangements ; I am not sure why in the end this did not happen.


Special guest is the brilliant contra-tenor vocalist Steve Dugardin,
who's voice has a rare quality. The music is accompanied by the Antwerp
based all female quartet of the company. The dance and physical theatre
part led by choreographer/dancer Koen Augustijnen we can only guess how
this cooperation is, with the help of various photographs, and through
reading the raves and enthusiasm in several articles.

Last two
tracks are too different to the concept that they are rather
disappointing, after such a great release, because they turn away from
this old music context completely. Considering them as bonus tracks of
side-ideas it makes this still more or less acceptable."

Gerald Van waes - progressive.homestead.com