Our path to nature

Back to our natural high.

WE are wondering through the forest. We are Women of all ages, genders and backgrounds. Women who want to sing with the eagles, fly with the wind, dance with the fire. Who are ready to go through the mud, in order to find their treasures. Women who simply want to connect, to do what they do best... connect with their hearts and the hearts of others.

Womanhood, for me, is about the strength in being, going with the flow (your heartbeat, blood-, emotional-flow, your menstrual cycle, moon cycle etc.), being connected in unity. It’s about the strength of love, softness, beauty, feeling, sensuality…

When I think of the word WOMAN, I think of… beauty, togetherness, connection, love, generosity, gentleness, power (feel free to continue the list)…

There is a certain power and peace in women uniting. It’s a being, receiving, listening quality that gets suddenly more space. Different from the more male energy of action, direct(ed)ness, support, solution oriented thinking. At the end we can all tune into both energies and bring them into balance. In our own way. I prefer to see the two genders more as energies instead of rigid roles we play. As a dynamic play of energies, within us as well as in the outside world, where everyone has the chance and freedom to create their own “cocktail of genderness”.

Be that woman inside you.

„There is a secret that we hold…“ was my feeling when I left the meeting with Stiene, a dancer and friend I met in 2017 surprisingly, after not having seen each other for quite a while. It was one of those moments where I felt something so strong, so clear... even though there was no evidence (yet) for my presentiment. But it all made sense to me in that moment. That we share a story and this story has to be told.

My insight was, that there is a power in all those feelings that constantly flow through us. I could see that radiance, that fighting spirit in Stiene’s eyes – and I felt, yes, it’s time that we women go out there and show ourselves. Our real nature as women. And the maybe biggest reminder for life is nature itself. Looking at nature, moving through nature, relating to nature.

Nature is not holding back.

The wind is not considering to make it a bit calmer for you, in order to comfort you. It will eventually. But it will also storm and fight and shout. It’s the same with women – they can be soft and gentle, loving and accepting. But they can also be wild and furious. There is a beauty in the wildness of (our) nature. And at the same time it can be scary. An energy uncontrollable.

A movie to awaken the female power.

Over the years my perspective of being a woman shifted: from trying to fit into the role “woman” to creating my own expression of being a woman from within – meaning, to explore all the different qualities that are inside me and define me as a woman, such as: the wild, the kind, the free spirit, the sweet, the caring, the sensitive, the energetic, the dancer, the singer, the sensual, the passionate, the calm, the healer, the mysterious, the open, the funny, the playful, the dedicated… and many more.

An expression of this process is my first dance movie, the shortfilm “MeUnited”. It is a milestone in my expression as artist and woman. I don’t know when the seed for this project was formed. Anyhow, in 2017 the first active steps for it were made. In 2018 and 2019 the film was produced and in January 2020 it celebrated its premiere. And it is till now that I feel the movie is causing its ripples, leading to new projects, new perspectives. MeUnited is still alive!

As for me: Creating that movie was a healing process. To accept all this different shadows of being human. And to see that I am not alone with it. Through sharing we can find softness and acceptance.

…And about that secret I was talking... I can’t put it in words. But you will see it when you look deeply into my eyes, any women’s eyes. When you are open to look further, deeper. When you are ready to let yourself be touched and let be whatever wants to be. “MeUnited” should be a reminder for it. A reminder of that place within that knows, trusts and accepts fully.

Background about the film:

The short movie “MeUnited” was produced between 2017 and 2020 – based on that meeting I had in 2017. I asked Stiene afterwards if she wanted to be part of a dance movie and she agreed. At the same time I met Daniel, a filmmaker, at a Video production I worked at this moment. He was enthusiastic about making a dance movie with me. Over the time more friends of mine joined the production – like Cedric, an amazing composer who made the music for the movie, Sebastian, who made the Sound Design or my brother Nicolas, who helped with the poster and Graphic Design. Between 2018 and 2020 I shared a house with Stiene. The movie, the dancing, the story developed almost from itself, through the close connection we two women had. And everyone in the team shared this feeling and intuitive guidance. The film shoot was an improvisation – everything, the dance, the choreography was developed in the moment. My respect goes to everyone being part of this journey and trusting in the process. Having the courage that something will come out. And I am very happy about our creation.

Thanks to: Stiene Schroor (dancer), Daniel Rodrigues Correia (director, camera, editor), Michael Antoine (camera), Cedric Vermue (composer), Sebastian Schatz (Sounddesign/Stereo Mix) Peter Stoel (Surround Mix), Juan Morales Calvo (Colour Correction), Nicolas Frey (Graphic Design), Muriel Jansen (Costume) and to the locations, where we could film: De Gelderlandfabriek and Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland.

But also Grandbrothers, London Grammar, Martin Kohlstedt and Charlotte Day Wilson for the music inspiration.