Yuri Bongers 7-1-1974 / 12-12-2021
Incredibly sad. Dancer, choreographer and co-founder of Vloeistof, Yuri Bongers, has passed away. Far too young. He has been incurably ill for quite some time.
More than 20 years ago we met at the dance academy. We recognized each other in the desire to dance out of the theater and wanted to explore this further together. We shared the same desire and fascination to use the street as a stage: Vloeistof was born.
Yuri was a dancer with a very unique way of moving. Playful, a little impetuous and very animated. He had a great curiosity to always try new things. Wonderfully opinionated, not afraid to go off the beaten path and full of ideas. Far more than you could ever implement. A wonderful human being. Modest, a little dreamy, funny, preferably in the background with enormous perseverance and a unique creative mind.
Yuri was the other half of Vloeistof. In our collaboration was always the obvious fact that you can count on each other, that you are building together, complementing and strengthening each other. We had the same way of looking at things, saw the same opportunities as we looked at the city. From there, Vloeistof developed its own way of working, exploring the boundaries of dance. Always developing the dance from an intention, not form.
Vloeistof continues, now without Yuri. What we have built up has now been given a solid, independent place of its own. It is, inspired by Yuri and myself, now carried by a larger group. That which he gave to the world with his inspiration, drive and innovation, we will continue. We are going to miss him incredibly.
Anja Reinhardt
