#BehindTheCover Antoine Vander Linden
The freedom of movement, the risk, and all the craziness.
Words: Georgina Villa
Photos: Alejandro Borjas Duncan
Styling: Luca Bouday
Pina Bausch’s motto was “I’m not interested in how people move, but what moves them”, and we like to think that every interview we’ve done since the launch of We The Cool has been strongly galvanized by this belief.
After a day of dancing and shooting this winter in Paris for our current motion cover, the young Belgian dancer member of the National Ballet of Marseille guided us through his creative process by sharing his very own intimate way of feeling, processing, and depicting music.
Antoine opened up about his evolution as a dancer, new ways of moving, nourishing his curiosity, and the importance of communication and understanding in moments of work and creation.
We The Cool: Do you remember the first dancing class that you attended?
Antoine: I remember perfectly how I felt during my first dancing class. Surrounded by girls, I didn’t feel in my place. I found it weird to be the only boy in the class. So this is how I decided to look for a place where I could feel more comfortable and where I could have a reference. I joined a dance school in my region where I could feel more at ‘home’. I think that nowadays things have changed in that aspect. Now the dancing world is more represented and open to all genders. We all have the right to express ourselves in our own way. Genders are not an obstacle anymore.
We The Cool: Tell us more about your beginnings in dancing..
Antoine: I started dancing when I was nine, in an amateur school. At first, it was just for fun and to express myself. I was a young kid with a lot of creativity and energy, and I felt the need to bring it out. I was lucky enough to be well surrounded by relatives, friends, and professors, who gave me some guidance in my choices and that knew how to motivate me during my moments of doubt. Thanks to that, I could grow up in a healthy environment. Around the age of thirteen, I joined the Royal Ballet D’Anvers (KBA), where I worked on my technique and my control. I enriched my knowledge and saw dancing with a new look. Around the age of seventeen, I decided to try contemporary dance, so I joined ‘de!Kunsthumaniora’ in Antwerp, where I discovered a new way of expressing myself, using my body, and nourishing my curiosity. During my six years in Antwerp, I saw myself evolve as an artist and grow as a person. Far from my parents, I learned to live by myself and to take on my responsibilities.
We The Cool: How would you describe your relationship with music?
Antoine: My relationship with music is quite simple. I grew up in music, I made my first movements with music and discovered different ways of moving thanks to the different music styles and inspirations that I could observe in videos, on TV, and in my surroundings. Music helps me develop my imagination and my creativity. It helps me build and visualize things. It takes me into something natural and organic, something that is not really thought out. I like music with my family, in the street, in my headphones, and in public spaces.
“Music can connect us and bring us together.”
We The Cool: Why did you choose contemporary dancing over other styles?
Antoine: I don’t think I had chosen this particular dance style. I think I am more attracted to what it represents and inspires me. The freedom of movement, the new look, the risk, and the craziness. I’m open to all styles of dance, the dance that challenges, educates, and makes me grow. I love renewing myself and discovering new things. I like to observe the impact that a new language on my body can have.
Top, Jean Paul Gaultier x Y/Project
We The Cool: You are currently a member of Ballet National de Marseille, but you started your dancing career in Antwerp, Belgium. How different is it to be a dancer in two cultural landscapes as different as these two cities?
Antoine: I studied in Antwerp for six years, I went through several stages and I knew how to make the right decisions to develop myself. I worked with several international choreographers and artists. During my studies, the different cultures and influences helped me to nourish the way in which I could see dance. Once I arrived in France, I had the chance to continue to grow thanks to the different influences that the country could bring me. The Ballet National de Marseille, gives real importance and openness to all these different cultures and influences. It has influenced the image that I had of dance, going through postmodernism with Lucinda Childs, voguing with Lasseindra, and avant-garde dance with La Horde.
We The Cool: Is there another city in the world whose cultural scene you would like to explore?
Antoine: I am strongly attracted by the dance culture in Israel. I never had the chance to go but it’s definitely part of my future plans.
We The Cool: Tell us more about your experience with Ballet National de Marseille and La Horde. How has your approach to the work evolved since you started until now?
Antoine: In 2021 I was admitted as an 'apprentice' at the Ballet National de Marseille under the direction of La Horde. This was the beginning of my career and my first step in the professional world. During my apprenticeship, I was lucky to take on roles in certain plays of the company and I could nourish myself as a dancer. In ballet, I worked with inspiring choreographers like Peeping Tom, La horde, and Tania Carvalho and different artists like Steven Cohen and Kaba Maryam.
I learned to open my eyes to new horizons and step out of my comfort zone. I was able to develop my savoir-faire and learn how to project it. I found my place in a group and was able to understand the importance of communication and understanding in moments of work and creation. I discovered new languages that I could experiment with in my body, and observe their consequences. I also learned to live with my body and control it in moments when it was most valued. I traveled and performed in different countries and theaters such as Paris, Oslo, Porto, and more.
Now, I am an integral part of the company where I have the fortune to share moments in the studio, on stage, and outside with fantastic dancers who still inspire me every day.
Top, Jean Paul Gaultier x Y/Project
We The Cool: Can you guide us through your creative process?
Antoine: In general, in a moment of creation, I always find it interesting to focus on the body. I often start with a concept, image, or text that inspires and guides me during my process. I like the idea of starting with improvisation and observing what my body can project from this concept. It's always more real and spontaneous when it comes from your very first idea.
“The human being and their instinct and nature remain something important to me during my creative process.”
We The Cool: What can you tell us about your improvisation process?
Antoine: I love to travel and experiment a lot when improvising. My attraction to dance comes particularly from improvisation. I like to search in my body for new ways of moving and expressing myself, and what I discover is then integrated and sought after in different ways. I like to see how my body can react in different states, such as fatigue, sadness, and anger. Your body is not the same every day, which makes improvisation and exploration more fascinating.
“How will my body express itself today?”
We The Cool: How can we see your personality portrayed through movement?
Antoine: My personality is quite visible in my dance. I am someone who likes to give and is quite curious. This can be seen in the way I use my eyes and observe the space around me. My hands are put forward and help me create a universe and story; they guide me and express what I want to convey. I like to use a sort of tension and detention; it helps me communicate more understandably. I use facial expressions in an exaggerated, almost caricature-like way; I like to incorporate something unreal in my dance, something that disrupts and intrigues me. Theatre is an important aspect for me that can be mixed with dance without moderation.
Total look, Weisheng Paris.
We The Cool: What feelings or emotions do you communicate when dancing?
Antoine: It depends on the universe of the play that I am performing. It can vary depending on what the choreographer wants to communicate. In general, it is important to stay in line with the universe of the play, which is why communication is important during the creative process. As a dancer and performer, you want to feel good and give meaning and understanding to the dance and what you project.
We The Cool: Which has been the best advice that another artist has given you?
Antoine: Once, my teacher said to me: "You always have to follow your heart." This a very simple sentence but that has always guided me to make the right decisions for myself. I have always been able to distance myself from my work and my personal feelings. But sometimes life decides the opposite. My work is an integral part of my life, and that's why it is important to make the best decisions for myself. To feel good about the people around you, the work that is offered to you, where you live, etc. It is then important to be connected with your principles and values.
We The Cool: What would you be doing if it wasn’t dancing?
Antoine: I think I would like to stay in the art world. I would like to highlight the art and its importance in society in any way. Create events, invite artists, educate me, and educate people on art and dance, choreography, acting, etc. I might one day like to open a coffee shop, something small and warm, something that represents me with live music and guest artists.
We The Cool: What other projects are you working on today?
Antoine: For the moment I am very busy with the company. We have a lot of tours and different programs like 'Room with a view' the first play of '(La) horde', Childs Carvalho Lasseindra Doherty, Roommates, etc. We are also working on a new creation that will be released in August 2023. I’m also trying to leave some space for my personal projects, shootings, films, etc.
Total look, ASQUIN.