LET THERE BE THE LIGHT

Simone Sandroni

22

June

TEXT, DIRECTION, CHOREOGRAPHY:
Simone Sandroni

CONCEPT, ARTISTIC COLLABORATION:
Honza Malík

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PERFORMERS:
The Performing Tribe comp. - Paulína Šmatláková, Eliška Hulínská, Václav Moule, Robert Štěpánek, František Fabián, Matouš Ondra

LIGHT DESIGN AND SET:
Robert Štěpánek, František Fabián, Matouš Ondra

SOUND DESIGN:
Václav Moule

COSTUMES:
Mariana Novotná

SET DESIGN:
Simone Sandroni & The Performing Tribe comp.

PRODUCTION:
Veronika Vavroňová, Honza Malík & 2VA z.s.

PRODUCER:
2VA z.s. & TANEC PRAHA festival

CREATION SUPPORTED BY:
Státní fond kultury, Italský kulturní institut v Praze, MO Plzeň 3, Město Plzeň

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Special thanks to A.I. for technical support and for not participating in the creative process.

PREMIERE:
June 3, 2025, 7:00 PM, Moving Station, Plzeň

DURATION:
60 min.

The first version of the performance with a Slovak cast was produced by and for the Nu Dance Fest in Bratislava in April 2024.

“Let Be the Light” is a work that blurs the boundaries between labor and creation, between function and inspiration. The stage is built before our eyes and, in doing so, becomes a narrative in itself. The technicians, like sailors aboard the Pequod, give life to a ship that—without them—would be nothing more than wood, ropes, cables, and darkness. The journey begins from a safe harbor—the empty stage—with a destination in mind, but without knowing what storms, surprises, or revelations lie ahead.

A performance that pays tribute to those who work behind the scenes, while playing with roles, power structures, and the hidden dynamics of stage creation—through a language that is contemporary, physical, and political. The very title, “Let Be the Light”, evokes both a way out of darkness and an invitation to lightness—now more than ever essential to resist rigidity, ideology, and fanaticism.

… It is clear that the main stars of the evening will be the men in T-shirts, who did not ask for attention to be focused on them, as their role is traditionally different. (…) It allows us to see the preparation of a performance from a perspective that is usually shrouded in secrecy. It sheds light (both literally and figuratively) on the cooperation between the artistic and technical components of a performance, and although it also offers poetic moments, it does not take itself too seriously.“ K. Soukupová, 17. 6. 2025, Dance Context

„… The production as a whole worked well, and above all brought much-needed light relief, which is truly rare in a field where difficult psychological and social themes usually take center stage. (…)It is a humorous probe into theater operations, revealing…“ L. Kocourková, 14. 6. 2025, Opera +


SIMONE SANDRONI is an Italian choreographer and director. In 1987, he became a founding member of the Brussels-based company Ultima Vez, with which he collaborated until 1992. In 1993, he founded his own company Ernesto in Brussels. In 1996, together with Lenka Flory, he established the international dance group Déjà Donné in Prague, which regularly performs across Europe, North America, and Asia.

In addition to his own productions, Sandroni has created numerous works for festivals, independent artists, and schools in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia (e.g., Bayerisches Staatsballett Munich, National Theatre Prague, Tanztheater Bielefeld, Festival de Beweeging Antwerp, Theater Varia Brussels, Sosta Palmizi Italy, Duncan Centre Conservatory Prague, VŠMU Bratislava, Four Chambers Dance Projects Toronto, Luzerntanz at Luzernertheater, En-Knap Group Ljubljana).

From 2015 to 2022, he was the principal choreographer and artistic director of the Bielefeld Theatre Dance Company in Germany. He also served as resident choreographer at the Bavarian State Opera from 2008 to 2016, and at the Luzernertheater in Switzerland from 1999 to 2002.


www.2va.cz

Tickets

    

22

June

LET THERE BE THE LIGHT

Panský dům (Choceň)
19:00
Buy a ticket
Add to Calendar 22-06-2026 19:00 22-06-2026 19:00 Czech republic/Europe LET THERE BE THE LIGHT “Let Be the Light” is a work that blurs the boundaries between labor and creation, between function and inspiration. The stage is built before our eyes and, in doing so, becomes a narrative in itself. The technicians, like sailors aboard the Pequod, give life to a ship that—without them—would be nothing more than wood, ropes, cables, and darkness. The journey begins from a safe harbor—the empty stage—with a destination in mind, but without knowing what storms, surprises, or revelations lie ahead. A performance that pays tribute to those who work behind the scenes, while playing with roles, power structures, and the hidden dynamics of stage creation—through a language that is contemporary, physical, and political. The very title, “Let Be the Light”, evokes both a way out of darkness and an invitation to lightness—now more than ever essential to resist rigidity, ideology, and fanaticism. „… It is clear that the main stars of the evening will be the men in T-shirts, who did not ask for attention to be focused on them, as their role is traditionally different. (…) It allows us to see the preparation of a performance from a perspective that is usually shrouded in secrecy. It sheds light (both literally and figuratively) on the cooperation between the artistic and technical components of a performance, and although it also offers poetic moments, it does not take itself too seriously.“ K. Soukupová, 17. 6. 2025, Dance Context „… The production as a whole worked well, and above all brought much-needed light relief, which is truly rare in a field where difficult psychological and social themes usually take center stage. (…)It is a humorous probe into theater operations, revealing…“ L. Kocourková, 14. 6. 2025, Opera + SIMONE SANDRONI is an Italian choreographer and director. In 1987, he became a founding member of the Brussels-based company Ultima Vez, with which he collaborated until 1992. In 1993, he founded his own company Ernesto in Brussels. In 1996, together with Lenka Flory, he established the international dance group Déjà Donné in Prague, which regularly performs across Europe, North America, and Asia. In addition to his own productions, Sandroni has created numerous works for festivals, independent artists, and schools in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia (e.g., Bayerisches Staatsballett Munich, National Theatre Prague, Tanztheater Bielefeld, Festival de Beweeging Antwerp, Theater Varia Brussels, Sosta Palmizi Italy, Duncan Centre Conservatory Prague, VŠMU Bratislava, Four Chambers Dance Projects Toronto, Luzerntanz at Luzernertheater, En-Knap Group Ljubljana). From 2015 to 2022, he was the principal choreographer and artistic director of the Bielefeld Theatre Dance Company in Germany. He also served as resident choreographer at the Bavarian State Opera from 2008 to 2016, and at the Luzernertheater in Switzerland from 1999 to 2002. www.2va.cz Jungmannova 137 Choceň Czech Republic
    

23

September

LET THERE BE THE LIGHT

PONEC - dance venue (Praha)
19:30
Buy a ticket
Add to Calendar 23-09-2026 19:30 23-09-2026 19:30 Czech republic/Europe LET THERE BE THE LIGHT “Let Be the Light” is a work that blurs the boundaries between labor and creation, between function and inspiration. The stage is built before our eyes and, in doing so, becomes a narrative in itself. The technicians, like sailors aboard the Pequod, give life to a ship that—without them—would be nothing more than wood, ropes, cables, and darkness. The journey begins from a safe harbor—the empty stage—with a destination in mind, but without knowing what storms, surprises, or revelations lie ahead. A performance that pays tribute to those who work behind the scenes, while playing with roles, power structures, and the hidden dynamics of stage creation—through a language that is contemporary, physical, and political. The very title, “Let Be the Light”, evokes both a way out of darkness and an invitation to lightness—now more than ever essential to resist rigidity, ideology, and fanaticism. „… It is clear that the main stars of the evening will be the men in T-shirts, who did not ask for attention to be focused on them, as their role is traditionally different. (…) It allows us to see the preparation of a performance from a perspective that is usually shrouded in secrecy. It sheds light (both literally and figuratively) on the cooperation between the artistic and technical components of a performance, and although it also offers poetic moments, it does not take itself too seriously.“ K. Soukupová, 17. 6. 2025, Dance Context „… The production as a whole worked well, and above all brought much-needed light relief, which is truly rare in a field where difficult psychological and social themes usually take center stage. (…)It is a humorous probe into theater operations, revealing…“ L. Kocourková, 14. 6. 2025, Opera + SIMONE SANDRONI is an Italian choreographer and director. In 1987, he became a founding member of the Brussels-based company Ultima Vez, with which he collaborated until 1992. In 1993, he founded his own company Ernesto in Brussels. In 1996, together with Lenka Flory, he established the international dance group Déjà Donné in Prague, which regularly performs across Europe, North America, and Asia. In addition to his own productions, Sandroni has created numerous works for festivals, independent artists, and schools in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia (e.g., Bayerisches Staatsballett Munich, National Theatre Prague, Tanztheater Bielefeld, Festival de Beweeging Antwerp, Theater Varia Brussels, Sosta Palmizi Italy, Duncan Centre Conservatory Prague, VŠMU Bratislava, Four Chambers Dance Projects Toronto, Luzerntanz at Luzernertheater, En-Knap Group Ljubljana). From 2015 to 2022, he was the principal choreographer and artistic director of the Bielefeld Theatre Dance Company in Germany. He also served as resident choreographer at the Bavarian State Opera from 2008 to 2016, and at the Luzernertheater in Switzerland from 1999 to 2002. www.2va.cz Husitská 24A/899 Praha Czech Republic
    

24

September

LET THERE BE THE LIGHT

PONEC - dance venue (Praha)
19:30
Buy a ticket
Add to Calendar 24-09-2026 19:30 24-09-2026 19:30 Czech republic/Europe LET THERE BE THE LIGHT “Let Be the Light” is a work that blurs the boundaries between labor and creation, between function and inspiration. The stage is built before our eyes and, in doing so, becomes a narrative in itself. The technicians, like sailors aboard the Pequod, give life to a ship that—without them—would be nothing more than wood, ropes, cables, and darkness. The journey begins from a safe harbor—the empty stage—with a destination in mind, but without knowing what storms, surprises, or revelations lie ahead. A performance that pays tribute to those who work behind the scenes, while playing with roles, power structures, and the hidden dynamics of stage creation—through a language that is contemporary, physical, and political. The very title, “Let Be the Light”, evokes both a way out of darkness and an invitation to lightness—now more than ever essential to resist rigidity, ideology, and fanaticism. „… It is clear that the main stars of the evening will be the men in T-shirts, who did not ask for attention to be focused on them, as their role is traditionally different. (…) It allows us to see the preparation of a performance from a perspective that is usually shrouded in secrecy. It sheds light (both literally and figuratively) on the cooperation between the artistic and technical components of a performance, and although it also offers poetic moments, it does not take itself too seriously.“ K. Soukupová, 17. 6. 2025, Dance Context „… The production as a whole worked well, and above all brought much-needed light relief, which is truly rare in a field where difficult psychological and social themes usually take center stage. (…)It is a humorous probe into theater operations, revealing…“ L. Kocourková, 14. 6. 2025, Opera + SIMONE SANDRONI is an Italian choreographer and director. In 1987, he became a founding member of the Brussels-based company Ultima Vez, with which he collaborated until 1992. In 1993, he founded his own company Ernesto in Brussels. In 1996, together with Lenka Flory, he established the international dance group Déjà Donné in Prague, which regularly performs across Europe, North America, and Asia. In addition to his own productions, Sandroni has created numerous works for festivals, independent artists, and schools in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia (e.g., Bayerisches Staatsballett Munich, National Theatre Prague, Tanztheater Bielefeld, Festival de Beweeging Antwerp, Theater Varia Brussels, Sosta Palmizi Italy, Duncan Centre Conservatory Prague, VŠMU Bratislava, Four Chambers Dance Projects Toronto, Luzerntanz at Luzernertheater, En-Knap Group Ljubljana). From 2015 to 2022, he was the principal choreographer and artistic director of the Bielefeld Theatre Dance Company in Germany. He also served as resident choreographer at the Bavarian State Opera from 2008 to 2016, and at the Luzernertheater in Switzerland from 1999 to 2002. www.2va.cz Husitská 24A/899 Praha Czech Republic

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