Bryan was born in the Netherlands and has Javanese, Surinamese and Dutch-Indian roots. His first interest in exercise started with ball sports. Elements of play and team dynamics still influence him in his daily life and his physical practice. After studying at Fontys University of the Arts in Tilburg, he started his development as a performer with a focus on youth – from babies to toddlers. He discovered this young audience by chance, but experiences a lasting fascination with the directness and honesty with which they respond: wiggling on the chairs, swaying to the music or shouting with delight.

At The100Hands Bryan plays in almost all performances. Very appropriate for The100Hands, he prefers to stand among the audience, their faces visible and the proximity palpable. Behind the scenes, Bryan fulfills the role of rehearsal director and captain of teams on tour, while also taking his first steps as a maker. He is curious about the interactive triangular relationship performer-child-caregiver and exploration of his makership based on an ongoing reflection on (his own) identity.

Working with The100Hands inspires him to continue to connect from a playfulness with his intuition and vulnerability as a powerful compass.

‘At The100Hands we hope to provide our audience with a space in which they feel safe; that they feel they have a choice. From that place I hope to bridge the distance between the performer and the audience by making them a participant.’

About making: ‘I have been dancing for young and very young audiences throughout my career. The specific and special connection that can be made with a (very) young audience fascinates me enormously and, in my opinion, it still has a lot to teach us as humans. I am especially curious about the interaction triangle between dancer, (young) child and parent/caregiver.’