AWOL
Alesya Dobysh and Simon Bus
Men on the move, trapped in systems. Tight suits, military discipline, camaraderie and competition.
AWOL takes a penetrating look at the modern man - the businessman, the soldier, the boy growing up in a system that glorifies power and conceals vulnerability. Through dynamic, physical and rhythmic choreography, a story unfolds about power and oppression, about belonging and being left out, about the price of obedience and the consequences of rebellion.
Simon Bus & Alesya Dobysh
Besides being partners in life, Simon and Alesya are also partners in art. Coming from a hip-hop dance background, they have developed their own movement language for their performances. Their work features elements from street and club dance styles, including house dance, jazz fusion and breaking, with influences from visual art and performance. This unique language made them stand out in the dance-battle scene and became the basis of their choreographic practice.
Wednesday 8 October, 20:30
Chassé Theatre, Breda, the Netherlands
Credits
Choreographer: Alesya Dobysh, Simon Bus
Performers: Eloy Cojal Mestre, Kajoinboi, Balder Hansen, Liam McCall
Sound design: Boris de Klerk
Light design: Erik van de Wijdeven
Technician: Mathijs Geraerts
A production of:
DansBrabant in co-production with SHIFFT, co-sponsored by iCoDaCo (a project made possible courtesy of Creative Europe).
Theatre newspaper about AWOL
"Dobysh and Bus thus prove themselves once again as the strong professionals they are. Like William Forsythe does with ballet, in AWOL they take the dance techniques they are masters of out of context (performers and creators come from the world of club and street styles). They bend these to their will to shine as abstract 'language'. The austerity in set and music (a very elegant and ominous sound score with lots of silences designed by Boris de Klerk) reinforces this: The movement score is and remains the thread that holds our attention."
Jordi Ribot Thunnissen - Theatre Newspaper 26 Sept 2025