The missing door

Text: Joost Groeneboer

In Gabriela Carrizo’s The missing door, Lydia Bustinduy dances the part of a woman in a troublesome romance. Lydia: “It’s about love and tenderness, but there also is a dark side.”

“It relates to different relationships, not just those between lovers, but also those between strangers and how they are connected by life. The threshold between fantasy and reality is not as obvious as we sometimes believe. Discomfort, uncertainty, and secrecy are sometimes laid bare in unexpected ways.”

How closely does this dance work approximate your own reality?
“At its core, it still is about love, which has given me many pleasant memories. I have been in love and still am in love. However, I have also experienced just how fragile love can be, full of uncertainty. Doubt is the gateway to fantasy, and it can sometimes be hard to keep that gate shut.”

What is your most prominent fantasy?
“It’s very strange. While I’m on stage, I often imagine that I go totally crazy and that I start to yell, cry, and laugh. That all the emotions I’ve experienced during situations throughout my life, both good and bad, erupt outward in a single instant. Like an explosion, without any self-control or shame.”

You have been dancing at NDT for 20 years now. How does that affect you as a person?
“It’s like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes it’s scary, and sometimes it feels safe. Sometimes it’s exciting, sometimes dull. However, I never had the inclination to stop the ride. I’ve had to say goodbye to many friends, but I have also welcomed many new ones. Our schedule is filled to the brim every week, six days a week. And we go on a lot of tours, in The Netherlands as well as internationally. Currently, I’m on tour in Taiwan and Japan.”

What is working with Gabriela Carrizo like?
“Working with Gabi means that every day is an adventure. I love her modesty and humanity. She manages to create a very liberal and inspiring atmosphere in the studio that makes you feel safe as a dancer and allows you to let go of your inhibitions. When you enter the studio, you are yourself, but you never know who you will be when you leave. I enjoy being surprised in life.”