‘Performing is like breathing for me, it’s an indispensable part of my life’
Image: Peter van der Poort
Floor van der Poort (36) is married to Sjoerd (35) and mother of Riv-June (1). She works as a theater maker, singer and street artist.
“As soon as I paint myself and put on a wig, I go ‘on’. Performing is like breathing for me, it’s an indispensable part of my life. I used to do playback shows with my sisters and I was in theater and musical groups.
Nonverbal acts
With my company Bellamime I do non-verbal acts on the street, for example portraying an ice queen, but I also perform at festivals and events. For example, I was a living barrel organ doll at Sieneke during the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010 and last year I was in Arnhem in a costume full of colored balls, in honor of the Volleyball World Cup.
I did both acts together with my father. He is a theater maker; I don’t have the love of entertainment from a stranger. He took me with him when I was fourteen to play characters at parties and parties. Nowadays it’s the other way around: ‘Dad, I have a nice assignment. Do you want?’
Read also – ‘Friends thought I was crazy when I started my own children’s theater’ >
On stilts
I have been a stilt walker for several years now. On stilts of a meter high I walk through shopping streets or greet visitors at the entrance of company parties. Luckily I’ve never fallen – I even dance on those things.
I perform with various stilt groups at home and abroad. We dance with big, heavy wings on our arms. Just like a workout, and so cool. No performance is the same. Every audience is also different, but I put a smile on everyone’s face. That’s what makes this work so beautiful.
Enjoy
With a friend I form the Nuffe Aunts: two crazy, humorous characters. We give performances in theatres, primary schools and children’s hospitals. Parents come to thank us afterwards: ‘Our daughter had the time of her life.’ So beautiful: thanks to our performance, children and their parents step out of their medical bubble. Don’t be sick for a while, just enjoy. Since I became a mother, performances like that touch me even more.
“My son watches breathlessly: what about this?”
Riv-June sometimes comes to watch my street acts or performances. He then sits breathlessly watching on daddy’s lap: how about that? Until he hears my voice and recognizes me, and starts laughing. He himself waves and greets everyone and as soon as the music starts, he starts humming and dancing. There is a good chance that he will also be in the spotlight later on.”
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