Review: IID Company The Soul of Dominique - art of metaphysics
- Ikuko
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 9
I went to watch IID Company's The Soul of Dominique on 15th June 2025 at De Waalse Kerk Rotterdam, a multi-purpose event venue converted from a small-scale 1920s-church, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
It was a matinee show. It was also the last show of the tour of this production, which started in March.
The Soul of Dominique was a contemporary dance piece for a duration of about 25 minutes. It was the second major production by Rotterdam-based IID Company after HEAR_ME if I am not mistaken. It is choreographed by Remy Tilburg and Robin Kroes, company choreographer and artistic director, respectively.
The company had introduced a platform called W.I.P. LAB (Work-Intimately-for-Progressing Laboratory) ahead of the tour. It is basically a launchpad project for young dancers including recent graduates. Remy and Robin plan to work with different dancers every season.
So, The Soul of Dominique was the launchpad of the launchpad. It showcased five dancers, three female and two male, dressed with same androgynous beige bodysuits and similar tight hair.
They danced in natural light coming from windows. As the audience seats were very close to the dancers, I could see details very well. Choreography was mixed discipline. It was contemporary, hip hop, jazz, popping and ballet, as well as a lot of Remy's signature moves. Young dancers performed the tricky choreography seamlessly and with endless stamina. Well done.
After the show, Robin and Remy gave a short talk that they created The Soul of Dominique for a friend of hers, who passed away too young and too early. And they wanted us to feel the sunbeam and take it home with us.
I would say I enjoyed studying the technical aspects of the show as I sometimes daydream creating my own choreography, designing costumes and giving a class. I felt I learnt something from the show.
However, from an artistic point of view, one element was missing; desiged light. Because the show took place in the broad daylight, it felt somehow one dimensional. And I knew Remy was good at utilising stage light. So I asked him if I could see a recording of a theater version of the performance and he pointed me to this. Holy moly.
Ghostly and outworldly. All of sudden, the soul part of The Soul of Dominique came to live. The techniques became multi-dimensional art. Light created depth and weight. It created a context.
All of sudden, the young dancers became metaphysical consciousness. The light created sculpted shades on dancers' bodies, exaggerating their muscle movements and making them look ethereal. Time and physical space probably did not exist where they were. These free-spirited souls were playing with the sunbeam and enjoying its warmth. Sometimes in unison. Sometimes in fragments. Sometimes in solo. Sometimes in duo. They disappear and reappear. If you touched them, they probably dissolved into light particles.
If The Soul of Dominique was an interpretation of death, it was the most personal and the most heart-warming — and the funkiest— I have ever come across.
Also, these young dancers were far from recently-graduated levels. I sincerely hope they will have a long career ahead of them.
Later day, I asked Remy how he created the smoke effect at the beginning. He said a little man was smoking. Apparently, it was a trade secret.
Choreography: Robin Kroes & Remy Tilburg
Dancers: Mia Bourhis, Ivan Tocchetti, Björn Bakker, Kseniia Serykh, Lulu Verstegen
Composers: The_And Music
Lighting design: Marvin van den Berg
Costume design: Tim Rekke (Guidance : Bregje van Balen)
All still images were taken by me with my iPhone.
