TeaTime Company founded in 2017, began as a collaboration between artists Hannah Rogerson (Ireland), Bavo De Smedt (Belgium) and Pieter Visser (Netherlands). The trio studied contemporary dance and circus at the Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Tilburg. Discovering their shared interest in working at the intersection of dance and circus, they decided to join forces and found their own company.
Like tea – using only hot water and tea leaves as essentials – TeaTime Company translates complex ideas into accessible, charming performances with subtle humour and expressive images. Their work blurs the boundaries between circus and dance, creating a new and hybrid movement language that shows concrete, human responses to abstract situations.
Their debut performance Stick-Stok provided a strong initial impetus for Tea Time Company’s artistic signature: an elegant combination of the three different disciplines and backgrounds. TeaTime Company has now performed Stick-Stok over five hundred times in more than fifteen countries, within and outside Europe.
After the success of Stick-Stok, TeaTime Company became part of Makershuis Tilburg. With their support, the indoor show LINEAR was created, which premiered at Festival Circolo and Theater Op De Markt.
TeaTime Company was selected as a provisional PLAN partner in 2020, giving it the opportunity to conduct research and make connections with collaborators. They worked on A Matter of Time, a new performance with award-winning creator/performer Piet Van Dycke. In addition, TeaTime Company experimented with video and made The Event with videographers Astrid and Roel.
In 2021, TeaTime Company was part of the triple bill The Great Catch, an initiative to bring more Dutch circus to Dutch theatres.
With a very positive assessment by the Performing Arts Fund, TeaTime Company was selected in autumn 2022 for the New Makers Scheme 2023/2024. With this grant for beginning talented creators, Panama Pictures and a number of inspiring coaches will guide TeaTime Compay in the areas of dramaturgy, creation, marketing, communication and production.
Their latest production Ripple premiered in early 2024. In Ripple, a giant metal spiral, no less than five metres long and 2.5 metres high dominates the stage. This is not just another object or prop, it is a set that can move completely, turning it into an acrobatic and manipulable playground.
As the spiral rolls in circles awe-inspiringly across the stage, the performers face constant challenges. They are forced to respond to the constant movement of the metal wheel, which at some moments seems to obey and at others seems to have a will of its own. But the spiral also allows them to push their limits. With a jump, they can stop time and a fall can slow them down forever.
With Ripple, TeaTime Company’s three performers explore themes of balance, influence, power, flow and friction. The ‘ripple effect’ describes the influence, persistence and consequences of our choices for good reason. Just as natural forces cause vibrations and ripples in water, our choices cause ripples in our relationships, thoughts and experiences.
‘It’s impressive, this dance and acrobatics performance by TeaTime Company, and it never becomes an accumulation of tricks.’ (Theaterkrant about Ripple)
TeaTime Company is also supported by FPK | Nieuwe Makersregeling, Makershuis Tilburg, Makersfonds Tilburg, Circuswerkplaats Dommelhof, Buro Piket, Thassos, UP – Circus & Performing Arts, CIRC’ from network, Circolito VZW, PLAN Brabant, IACC, Dance Ireland, Shawbrook Dance, La Chose, Festival Circolo
