Glorious Bodies
Glorious Bodies is a physical, moving, and hopeful circus and dance performance about the capacity of our bodies, about seeing and being seen, about the border between classical and contemporary circus.
On stage: six acrobats between 57 and 69 years old, each with a past in the (more) classical circus. Circus history archived in the body.
Aging remains a taboo in our society and certainly in the circus world. Similar to top athletes, most acrobats stop their intensive training regimen after a certain age. How do the most perfect bodies transform? As a human being, can you ever make peace with your own body? Can you be completely in harmony? Glorious Bodies shines a light on the process of aging in a unique way. A process that happens to all of us. Something that is, in fact, happening right now, at this very moment.
The roots of the performance can be found in partner acrobatics and movement. Glorious Bodies dismantles the clichés about the older generation. An impressive, charming, and humorous performance that shows us what the human body is actually capable of. A capacity that is clearly timeless and ageless.
More Information:
Duration: 55 Minutes
Age Recommendation: 8+
Language: none
Credits
Performers: Winfried Deuling, Astrid Schöne, Det Rijven, Thorsten Bohle, Paul Griffoen and Johannes Fischer
Concept, choreography: Piet Van Dycke
Dramaturgy: Marie Peeters
Installation: Arjan Kruidhof
Music: Kris Auwers
Production: Circumstances vzw
Coproduction: PLAN, Festival Circolo, DansBrabant, Cirklabo, Circuswerkplaats Dommelhof, PERPLX, Perpodium
With support of: the Flemish Government, Grensverleggers/deBuren, Sabam for Culture
Special thanks to: Miramiro, Destelheide und Wybren Wouda
Photos: Heroen Bollaert
The season of Glorious Bodies at Chamäleon is made possible with the kind support of the Representation of Flanders in Germany. Flanders – the creative, Dutch-speaking region in northern Belgium, internationally recognised as a leading location for innovative circus and theatre productions.
Supporting Programme
All information about our supporting programmes can be found here.
Dates
- Thursday, 22 January, 2026, 8:00 p.m. The entrance and introduction will be interpreted in German Sign Language. The play Glorious Bodies is nonverbal.
- Saturday, 24 January 2026, 8:00 pm Audience Talk and Artist Q&A
- Thursday, 29 January 2026, 5:00 to 7:30 pm: Show accompanying workshop (fully booked)
You have seen Glorious Bodies and would like to engage with the experience in a new and deeper way? Well, we’ve created a special offer for you as part of “Play with us.”
This unique workshop offers the opportunity to be an active participant in PLAY – and you don’t need any prior experience in circus or performance. Inspired by the powerful and touching performance Glorious Bodies by Circumstances, participants will creatively explore topics like aging, their own bodies, and its capabilities.
What does aging feel like? What changes do we perceive? Which powers remain? What new ones emerge? Are there fears and uncertainties? Or perhaps does something calm and encouraging emerge in the process of aging?
Through movement exercises, partner work and creative prompts, participants will approach these questions and reflect, in a playful way, how personal experiences with aging can be expressed. The workshop invites you to experience, reflect on, and physically embody the essence of the piece – a space to make the aging process tangible in all its facets.
Facilitator: Anika Lachnitt (Director, Theater academic and teacher)
For whom?
Anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in exploring the themes of aging, the body and the perception of abilities in a playful and active way. No physical prerequisites are necessary!
When:
Thursday, January 29, from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Participation is free.
The main language is German, but questions can be asked in English as well.
Registration:
Limited spots were assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. The workshop is fully booked.
Please note that the venue is unfortunately only accessible by stairs. Feel free to contact us with your accessibility needs, and we will provide advice and find solutions wherever possible.
In the Press
Joost Goutziers
engaging and touching, thoughtfully designed and very strongly choreographed
Circusweb
Do aging artists still matter? The pure performance, the intense collaboration and the acrobatic mastery ensure that any doubt about the answering question is totally unnecessary
Cultuurpers
You feel the admiration that the choreographer has for his performers and notice how intensely they enjoy that performance
Theaterkrant
For an hour, they have been able to shine, virtuosic and also fragile
De Standaard
Beautiful, strong, proud people are standing on the stage. They instantly make me a little less afraid of growing older
About the Company
Circumstances is a circus and dance company under the artistic direction of Piet Van Dycke and develops, produces and distributes wordless, impactful performances. In these performances Piet works as a choreographer together with circus artists. Each performance is made out of/for/with/in different circumstances: site-specific and/or theatre performances working form different circus disciplines, with children/adolescents/elderly people, for different audiences.
“Circus is not about achieving, but challenging the impossible. The search for the limits of balance, gravity, time and endurance creates a unique dance.” – Piet Van Dycke
For each production, Circumstances consists of a diverse team of artists, each specialized in their own field. Meeting each other, exchanging and engaging in dialogue are some of the core values within the creation process. The artistic team works together on the performance. Piet Van Dycke initiates, coordinates and choreographs the movement material. The focus is on the dynamics, humor and our commonality as human beings with the body as the driving force. The creation is based on assignments, improvisation and movement research.
