Imagine a performance that doesn't follow a straight line, but connects two worlds that reinforce each other. In the diptych 'VV | ENERGY', the professional dance company 20Hertz – consisting of hearing, deaf and hard of hearing dancers – takes the audience from deep silence to total euphoria. 

The first part focuses on 'Visual Vernacular' (VV). This is an expressive storytelling form from Deaf culture that is still virtually unknown in the Netherlands. Under the guidance of American VV artist Justin Perez and choreographer Sharon Wesseling, the performers explore how stories can be told using the entire body, facial expressions and technology. Wesseling, herself hard of hearing and nominated for the Innovation Prize of the Dutch Dance Days 2025, creates a dreamlike world full of visual intensity. 

The second part of the performance lets the audience experience what it is like to navigate as a deaf person in a hearing society. The focus here is on overstimulation: a festival-like energy full of moves, powerful beats and tangible vibrations floods the venue. This overwhelming mix of stimuli serves as a metaphor for the daily reality in which many deaf and hard of hearing people must hold their own; an experience that can be both exhilarating and exhausting. 

'VV | ENERGY' breaks the classical dramatic arc of theater. By combining dance, light, visuals and music by Amsterdam Beats, a total experience emerges that shows how rhythms and energy are experienced in different ways. The result is a powerful statement about inclusivity and an introduction to a unique new dance style. 

The performers Sharon Wesseling, Fenna Thelosen, Pleun Heefer, Riva van Baardewijk bring this co-production (with ECI Cultuurfabriek) to life, supported by artistic guidance from, among others, SALLY Dansgezelschap Maastricht and Wies Bloemen.