In Absentia

After the first big show 'When The Birds Fly Low The Wind Will Blow' that was successfully received everywhere, company HelKa vzw worked with great enthusiasm on their new project "LORE", for which they wrote out a grant file to realize this. In July 2015, however, Minister of Culture Sven Gatz decided not to honor 79 positively advised projects, including 'LORE'. An incomprehensible decision for many younger makers, with serious consequences, also for Helder Seabra.

However, the company does not get caught up in the matter and decided, in consultation with the programmers of "LORE", to develop a fully-fledged but feasible alternative with the meaningful title "In Absentia", a creation with three dancers and two musicians.

In Absentia
Felt loss, seen and carried by 5 men. You can cry, laugh and experience. Even as a man. The loss of someone dear, the loss of speech, the loss of a fantastic book, the loss of a friendship, a love, the loss of a project that cannot be created.

Five men investigate and experience the emotional, mental and physical impact of loss. Men react differently than women. Is that why men look for a more physical way to express themselves?

Helder Seabra, dancer and choreographer from Portugal, was a key figure in the creations of Wim Vandekeybus and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Since a few years he has mainly focused on making his own dance creations.

2015

"In Absentia is a testosterone explosion that bursts right in your face, a thrill to watch. Along with his two collaborators, Seabra delves deep into the male soul, translating feelings of restlessness, doubt, insecurity, and jealousy into raw physical responses on stage.”, "Seabra’s raw virility is refreshingly distinct in the predominantly feminine world of contemporary dance.”