PREMIERING 8 NOV 2025 | A new dance-opera in Rotterdam examines how men might change when they allow their feminine inner world to surface. Premiering at Theater Rotterdam, AN(I’M)A explores identity, vulnerability and the search for balance.
The dance-opera (dansopera) AN(I’M)A by theatre-maker and choreographer Cecilia Moisio, created with multidisciplinary artist and singer Lester David, centres on a protagonist whose fixed self-image begins to fracture. The work frames male mental health as a social concern rather than a private failing, echoing Dutch figures that show most suicides are committed by men and many report having no close friends.
AN(I’M)A premieres on Saturday 8 November 2025 at Theater Rotterdam. The piece traces an inward journey in which an old identity falls away and an encounter with the anima — the feminine energy within the male psyche as described by Carl Jung — becomes possible.
What the work explores
Within a ring of light that suggests the subconscious, the central figure moves between force and surrender, analysis and feeling. Movement, voice and live music fold into a staged experience that treats softness as a form of strength. “AN(I’M)A is my plea against toxic masculinity — not only in men, but in all of us,” says Moisio. “We carry both the masculine and the feminine. Only when those forces are balanced can we be free.”
Moisio and David blend dance, pop idioms and operatic writing in sequences that alternate control with unguarded presence. The aim is not a therapeutic solution on stage, but a public space where complex emotions can be recognised without judgement.
A two-part project
AN(I’M)A forms the first part of a diptych. In 2026, ANIM(US) will examine the masculine energy within the female psyche. Together the works propose a wider, non-binary view of strength in which care, listening and emotional literacy sit alongside resolve.
For Rotterdam audiences, the pairing offers a way to talk about health, identity and care through performance rather than policy language. It is an invitation to consider how families, schools, teams and studios might make room for a fuller emotional range.
Creative team
Cecilia Moisio is a theatre-maker and choreographer whose work moves between dance, theatre and performance. Her projects address identity, gender, trauma and vulnerability, and have been acknowledged with the Prijs van de Nederlandse Dansdagen (2014) and the Dansdagen Jong Publiek (2018).
Lester David, born in Caracas, is a multidisciplinary artist and vocalist. His practice treats art as a healing medium, combining Venezuelan rhythms, pop, jazz, electronics and opera into a personal performance language.
Dates and tickets
AN(I’M)A premieres on Saturday 8 November 2025 at Theater Rotterdam. Further information about the production and future dates will be announced via the maker’s website. Details: https://www.ceciliamoisio.com
Location and directions
The performance takes place at Theater Rotterdam, located on Schouwburgplein in the city centre. The venue is a short walk from Rotterdam Central Station and surrounded by cafés and cultural landmarks such as De Doelen and Pathé Schouwburgplein.
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