Profiel | CV Neander Umberto Houben

Neander Umberto Houben: pedagogue of movement and dramatic play, actor

Nationality: Dutch
After his academic studies (Bachelor of Human Movement, Sports & Education) he trained at the International School of Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris (2000-2002).
He started his theatre career at the school of theatre and clowns in Amsterdam. He discovered the tragedy and grotesque with several actors and teachers like: Ruud van Hooft, Nora Kretz, René Kres, Daniel Rovai, Gijs Vennix (1998-2000).
To continue his research in clowning he went to study theatre and comedy at the school for dance, clowning and theatre in Hannover ( Germany). He trained with Dieter Bartels for one year (1999-2000).
Since 1997 he works as an actor in many different cities: Paris, Avignon, Chalons (France), Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zwolle, Maastricht, Utrecht (Netherlands), Edinburgh (Scotland), Hannover, Berlin (Germany), Leuven, Gent, Brussel (Belgium), Tokyo (Japan)
He has a role as the butcher in a short drama film : Evolutie , director Omid Pourhasemi (1998).
He participated in workshops of clown and bouffon with Eric de Bont (Maurik, 1999) and tragedy burlesque at Ecole International de Marcel Marceau in Paris (2001).
He participated in workshop of the Balinese master Tapa Sudana, former actor of Peter Brook, Amsterdam (1999).
He was accepted by Pierre Byland to assist him in the show “Homo Ludens” in de Krakeling in Amsterdam and participated in his masterclass (2000).
He started his workshops in movement and dramatic play. He studied with Carlos Garcia Sanchez in Amsterdam. Here he continues his love and research in commedia dell’ arte. Carlos is director of Teatro Punto/Stichting Commedia.
In parallel, he has also completed a series of cycles of human development and system work (Hellinger). He is certificated in NLP masterpractioner and Master Coaching in Human Development (2007, Rudy van Damme), Voice Dialogue and energy/body work and spiritual work (Indra Torsten Preiss (2007).
He is developing a specific approach to movement and acting, based on the principals of this work and involving. Integration of theatre and human development. During his academic studies he started his research in body-centred psychotherapy (PMT, 1995-1996). For several years he has been a teacher in physical education and physiotherapist at several special schools for children with a physical or mental handicap in Amsterdam. He specialised himself in children with autism (mytyl-tyltylschool Amsterdam (2002-2007).
In 2006, in Amsterdam, he founded his own company: Dabarts Creative Arts Group. A international theatre company as well as a centre for research in unconventional arts. He is also coaching professionals in arts (writers, directors, musicians, architects, actors, singers, designers, etc.) The theatre company offers a series of workshops. Those workshops have been opportunities to encounter actors or students of various backgrounds and to question and reinvent the essence of what it means to be on stage.
His approach focuses on bringing the theatrical potential of the person, to evolve playfully towards acting and performing a theatre of creation. The themes of the workshops cover the main dramatic styles, seen as territories to explore. Such are clowns, burlesque, the play of the imaginary through the masks, personages and human comedy, as well as the relation between text and movement. At the core of this work stands the neutrality and neutral mask work. That just makes the actor open or ‘available” for the play.