Double Helix in Rotterdam during Art Week During Rotterdam Art Week, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam presents Double Helix at the industrial Katoenhuis. This large-scale production is created specifically for the location and offers visitors an immersive experience rather than a traditional theatre performance. Audiences step into a futuristic environment where the boundary between the human body and technology begins to fade. The performance takes place across a space of 1,000 square metres and unfolds through four connected areas. Visitors move through the setting while dance, visual art and technology come together around them. Performers and artworks appear at close range, making the audience part of the atmosphere instead of distant observers. The meaning behind Double Helix With Double Helix, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam explores how technological progress influences the way we see and experience our own bodies. The title refers to the spiral shape of DNA, the structure that carries human genetic information. This scientific reference becomes a symbol for change, development and the possibility of manipulation. The performance connects to current themes such as artificial intelligence and bio-technology, while also raising personal questions about identity and control. It invites visitors to reflect on how much influence we have over our physical selves in a world shaped by rapid innovation. Double Helix costumes and visual design A key role in Double Helix is played by designer and visual artist Bart Hess. Known for his futuristic vision of the body, he created costumes and visual elements that transform the dancers into hybrid figures. Artificial materials wrap around the performers and merge with their movements, creating forms that seem partly human and partly machine. Sometimes the human shape appears to dissolve into texture and surface. At other moments, breathing and muscle tension become visible again, breaking through the artificial layers. This constant shift between organic presence and technological form creates a strong visual contrast that defines the atmosphere of the production. An immersive dance experience in Rotterdam Unlike a traditional performance with fixed seating, Double Helix places visitors inside the work. As they move through the different spaces of the Katoenhuis, light, sound and movement change their perspective again and again. The result is an environment that feels both fascinating and slightly disorienting, echoing the uncertain relationship between humans and technology. This immersive approach makes Double Helix in Rotterdam not only a dance performance but also a sensory art experience. It encourages visitors to slow down, observe closely and consider how the definition of being human may continue to evolve in the future. About Scapino Ballet Rotterdam Scapino Ballet Rotterdam is known for pushing the boundaries of dance by collaborating with artists from other disciplines. With Double Helix in Rotterdam, the company once again shows how movement, design and technology can merge into a contemporary form of storytelling that fits the innovative character of the city.
