Lady of Voerendaal dances onto the stage

The “Lady of Voerendaal” will appear on stage on 3 and 4 June in the theatre in Heerlen. Together with three other strong women from the history of Voerendaal, she plays the leading role in the dance performance Strong by dance association Ritmo.

Strong is the story that Ricky Domen wrote around four strong women from 2,000 years of Voerendaal’s history: the Roman Lucia (Lady of Voerendaal), the water maiden Aldegonde from around the year 800, Anna-Maria, the noblewoman from the Middle Ages, and Lidy from modern times. In the story of Lucia, the Roman farmstead on the Steinweg is central, guided by the (classic) role divisions between rich and poor, masters and slaves, and men and women. Aldegonde is a young noblewoman who lives around 800 in Cortenbach Castle. Her life is marked by struggles and complications concerning her parents. Eventually she drowns after a struggle in the pond of Cortenbach Castle. During stormy nights she rises and wanders through Voerendaal as a ghost, searching for her mother.

Manor houses and smartphones
The third strong woman is the noblewoman who had the Freuleshoes, named after her, built next to the church. Due to her noble background she must study in Aachen, but is confronted with the death of her parents. Afterwards, a brother takes advantage of the situation and ensures that the ancestral castle, Dammerscheidt, is lost.

The quartet of strong women concludes with Lidy. Her story begins during the Second World War, follows the subsequent reconstruction and ends in 2023, complete with social media and smartphones.

Roots in history
The story of Strong, thanks to the cooperation of Jo Ortmans and Wil Maassen, has firm roots in the history of Voerendaal. For dramatic effect, some fiction has been added. For example, it is not known whether the Lady of Voerendaal lived in the Roman villa on the Steinweg.
The audience can follow the story through explanations given by the four strong women during their parts in the performance. The fully written-out story will probably also be included in the programme booklet.

250 dancers
During the performances, 250 dancers will appear on stage. The choreography is provided by six teachers from Ritmo. The association has existed since 1979 and offers dance classes in many different styles for all ages. In addition, part of the Ritmo members form the show group Scope.

There are performances on Saturday 3 June at 19:00 and Sunday 4 June at 14:00, both in the Parkstad Limburg Theatre in Heerlen.

Tickets? See: https://www.plt.nl/…/dansvoorstelling…/03-06-2023-19-00