ABOUT ME
I’m Danielle, but most people call me Daan.
I come alive when life is in motion: an unfamiliar destination, new people, a plan that changes along the way, a spontaneous invitation.
A year ago, I stayed in an apartment in Cádiz with five women from different countries. For two weeks, we danced flamenco for four hours a day, with a different technique or choreography every hour. Cooling off in the sea or in a chic air-conditioned restaurant. Grilled sardines and delicious tapas in a noisy, slightly chaotic little bar.
That contrast suits me. Intensity and calm. Choreography and improvisation. A journey in which all those different people, rhythms and moments gradually became one.
In flamenco, there is duende: the guitarist following the dancer, the rhythmic clapping, the singing that adds even more depth. They respond to one another, strengthen one another and create a moment when everything comes together. Something you can feel deep inside.
And that is when duende can emerge: something greater than the individual parts. Something no one can fully direct.
That fascinates me.
Perhaps because there is something in it that feels very much like me: being well prepared, knowing what you are doing, and still leaving room for whatever unfolds along the way.
