ATLAS

ATLAS is the latest physical performance by collective ROTOR, a poetic exploration of bearing responsibility in a hyper-individualized society.

As we collectively risk collapsing under the pressure of our glorified independence — carrying the sky on our shoulders alone to prevent it from falling — ROTOR wonders whether another movement is possible. Inspired by philosopher Byung-Chul Han’s works The Burnout Society and Vida Contemplativa, this performance explores the questions: who bears which responsibility, and more importantly, what does it mean to carry it together? In a world of growing pressure, burnout, and increasing individualism, can we lighten the load through collaboration and shared responsibility?

Amid the chaos of our fast-paced lives, ROTOR searches for stability and calm. What if this lies in connection with others? In an almost sensory experience, they reveal the beauty of shared responsibility. What if, unlike ATLAS, we don’t carry the sky alone, but together? Perhaps then it becomes lighter. Perhaps then the sky becomes air once more.

About ROTOR

The world of performance collective ROTOR revolves around the repetition of physical actions. At the heart of their work lies the question: “What sets ROTOR in motion?” This question not only highlights the driving mechanism and the starting point of movement, but also explores the potential for depth and transformation that resonates with the audience. What sets ROTOR in motion within the audience?

Key elements include the body as a starting point, the performers’ physical exertion, the audience’s bodily engagement, variation within repetition, and the practice of meaning-making.

Hidde Aans-Verkade and Koen van der Heijden form the creative core of ROTOR as performer-makers. Both graduated from the Academy of Theatre and Dance (ATD) in Amsterdam, where a unique physical connection and shared motivation emerged.