GLORIOUS BODIES Brings Six Ageing Acrobats to Antwerp in October

Antwerp (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – October 12, 2026 – The circus and dance production GLORIOUS BODIES, created by Belgian company Circumstances, is scheduled to perform at hetpaleis in Antwerp on 18 October 2026. Directed and choreographed by Piet Van Dycke, the production features six acrobats aged between 56 and 68. Through partner acrobatics, movement and humour, the performance explores ageing, physical transformation and the changing capabilities of the human body. The 55-minute performance is open to audiences aged eight and above.

The production will take place at hetpaleis, a theatre in Antwerp, with the performance scheduled from 3pm to 3.55pm. The venue lists the event as part of its circus programme and identifies Circumstances as the producing company. The performance is designed for spectators aged eight and older.

The production places older performers at the centre of a circus format traditionally associated with demanding physical skills. Rather than presenting ageing as a subject separate from performance, GLORIOUS BODIES incorporates the performers’ changing physical abilities into its movement, acrobatics and choreography.

When and Where Will GLORIOUS BODIES Be Performed in Antwerp?

The scheduled Antwerp performance will take place on Sunday, 18 October 2026, at hetpaleis, located at Meistraat 2, 2000 Antwerp. The venue’s published programme lists the production as a 55-minute performance beginning at 3pm.

The theatre has classified the show as suitable for audiences aged eight and above. Its published ticket prices are €18 for people aged over 26, €14.50 for those under 26 and €9 for children under 18. A reduced rate of €3 is also listed for eligible visitors under the venue’s increased-subsidy scheme.

The event forms part of hetpaleis’s October programme, which includes performances and activities for different age groups. The theatre’s programme lists GLORIOUS BODIES alongside other productions scheduled during the month.

What Is the Circus Production GLORIOUS BODIES About?

GLORIOUS BODIES is a circus and dance production examining the physical capacity of the human body and the experience of growing older. According to the company’s published description, the work explores the relationship between classical and contemporary circus through six performers with backgrounds in traditional forms of circus.

The performance draws on partner acrobatics and movement. Its central subject is how bodies change over time, particularly for artists whose professional lives have depended on strength, balance, coordination and physical control.

Circumstances describes the work as an exploration of ageing in a field where performers often stop intensive training after reaching a certain age. The production examines what happens when the physical abilities associated with a circus career change and how performers continue to engage with their craft.

Rather than relying exclusively on conventional displays of physical perfection, the show incorporates the realities of bodily change into its performance. The production’s description identifies the relationship between physical limits, failure and the difference between what a person wants to do and what their body can accomplish as part of its artistic approach.

Humour also forms part of the performance. The company presents the six acrobats as artists who continue to demonstrate physical skills while acknowledging the changes that come with age. The production combines this approach with dance and partner acrobatics to examine the relationship between experience and physical ability.

Who Are the Six Acrobats Performing in GLORIOUS BODIES?

The Antwerp production features Thorsten Bohle, Winfried Deuling, Johannes Fischer, Paul Griffoen, Det Rijven and Astrid Schöne. The performers are aged between 56 and 68, according to the production information published by hetpaleis. All have backgrounds in classical or relatively traditional circus.

Their participation is central to the show’s subject. The performers bring experience from a discipline in which physical skills are developed through training and repeated practice. The production places that experience within a performance that acknowledges the physical changes associated with ageing.

Piet Van Dycke is responsible for the concept and choreography. The creative team also includes composer Kris Auwers, dramaturge Marie Peeters, installation designer Arjan Kruidhof and lighting designer Casper Van Overschee. Oona Mampuys is credited for costume design, while Edwin van Steenbergen provided lighting-design coaching.

The combination of choreography, music, lighting and installation supports the production’s physical approach. Partner acrobatics and movement provide its central performance language, while the other creative elements form part of the overall stage presentation.

Which Company Created GLORIOUS BODIES and When Did It Premiere?

The production was created by Circumstances, a company whose work explores the relationship between circus and dance. The company’s published information identifies GLORIOUS BODIES as a production from 2023, with its premiere taking place on 14 October that year.

Its development involved several cultural organisations. The production’s listed co-producers include PLAN, Festival Circolo, DansBrabant, Cirklabo, Circuswerkplaats Dommelhof, PERPLX, Perpodium and Sabam for Culture. The production also received support from the Flemish Government and Grensverleggers/deBuren.

The work has continued to appear in the company’s touring programme. Circumstances’ published calendar lists the Antwerp performance on 18 October 2026, with additional dates in Belgium and elsewhere during the same period.

The production’s continued touring places the Antwerp date within a wider schedule of performances rather than presenting it as a premiere. Its original 2023 launch established the work before the October 2026 engagement at hetpaleis.

How Does GLORIOUS BODIES Address Ageing in Circus?

Ageing is a central theme of the production because circus performance often places substantial physical demands on artists. Acrobats may spend years developing the strength, flexibility, balance and coordination needed to perform complex movements. The company’s description notes that many circus performers eventually stop intensive training as they grow older.

GLORIOUS BODIES approaches this subject through the performers’ actual presence on stage. Their age and experience are part of the work’s premise, allowing the production to explore how physical ability changes without removing the performers from the artistic spotlight.

The performance also addresses visibility: the experience of being seen by an audience and how that experience changes over a lifetime. Its themes connect the physical demands of circus with broader questions about bodily transformation and the relationship between personal identity and physical capability.

The production does not abandon acrobatics in favour of a purely spoken discussion about ageing. Instead, its artistic approach uses physical movement to communicate the subject. The performers’ interactions, attempts and movements make bodily capacity part of the performance itself.

This approach is reflected in the work’s published description, which emphasises the physical process of trial and error and the contrast between intention and ability. It also draws attention to the strength and limitations of the body as elements of circus performance.

What Have Critics Said About the Production?

The company’s website reproduces responses from several reviewers, including writers associated with Dutch and Belgian cultural publications. These comments address the performers’ acrobatic skills, the choreography and the production’s treatment of ageing.

A review quoted by Circumstances from Joost Goutziers describes the acrobatic work as technically accomplished and notes that the six performers demonstrate considerable agility. The company’s website also reproduces comments from Wijbrand Schaap of Cultuurpers, who discusses the performers’ persistence and the way the production presents the effort involved in their work.

The website additionally cites Tuur Devens of Theaterkrant, whose review highlights the performers’ enjoyment and pride, alongside the contrast between virtuosity and physical vulnerability. De Standaard reviewer Charlotte De Somviele also commented on the performers’ presence and the production’s treatment of growing older.

These are previously published responses to the production, not reviews of the forthcoming Antwerp performance. The scheduled appearance at hetpaleis will give local audiences an opportunity to see the work as part of its continuing tour.

What Is Known About the October Performance and Production Team?

The published event information confirms the Antwerp date, venue, running time, age guidance and ticket prices. It also identifies the six performers and the principal creative contributors. The event listing does not establish any additional Antwerp performance dates for GLORIOUS BODIES beyond the scheduled show on 18 October.

The venue’s programme identifies Circumstances as the company behind the production, while the company’s own website provides further information about its development, creative team and touring schedule. Together, these listings establish that the Antwerp appearance is part of an existing production’s tour.

The available information describes the work as a circus and dance performance rather than a conventional spoken-word play. Its focus is on movement, partner acrobatics and the experience of ageing, with the performers’ physical capabilities forming a central part of the production.

Background: How GLORIOUS BODIES Fits Into Contemporary Circus

Circumstances describes its wider artistic practice as an exploration of the boundaries between circus and dance. Its productions include EXIT, which combines movement, partner acrobatics and balancing elements, and BEYOND, a later work listed in the company’s programme. GLORIOUS BODIES forms part of the same body of work.

The company presents circus as a form capable of exploring subjects beyond the demonstration of physical technique. In GLORIOUS BODIES, the ageing body becomes the subject of the performance as well as the means through which it is communicated.

The work’s premiere in October 2023 and its subsequent appearances in the touring calendar demonstrate that it has remained part of Circumstances’ repertoire. The Antwerp engagement at hetpaleis is scheduled for 18 October 2026, with other performances listed at venues elsewhere during the autumn.

What Is Confirmed About GLORIOUS BODIES’ Antwerp Appearance?

The confirmed programme information establishes that GLORIOUS BODIES will be performed at hetpaleis in Antwerp on 18 October 2026 at 3pm. The performance is listed as lasting 55 minutes and is suitable for audiences aged eight and above. Ticket prices and the principal production credits have also been published by the venue.