Henna Night Reimagined: Unveiling the Spectrum of Self

A Queer Celebration of Human Existence, Touch and Inclusivity

About the show:

Henna Night Reimagined reinterprets the traditional Turkish Henna Night, an Anatolian rite of passage typically centered on the bride-to-be and shaped by societal expectations. In this work, the ritual is transformed into a poetic and defiant act that honours self-liberation through a queer lens.

Traditionally, the Henna Night is marked by a bittersweet, often sorrowful atmosphere, symbolising the bride’s departure from her family and entry into a socially prescribed role. Henna Night Reimagined disrupts this framework, reshaping the event into a vibrant celebration of the human experience, embracing multiplicity, fluid identities, and the freedom to define one’s own path.

Blending performance, participatory elements, and ritual, the performance creates a space where tradition is not erased but reimagined, expanded to include queer voices and to engage with our relationship to the broader ecology.

Created first at the Rrreuring Festival at Podium Mozaiek in 2024, the piece later evolved during residencies at CC Amstel and RedeMore (Portugal). In the 2025 season, Henna Night Reimagined embarks on a Netherlands tour, continuing its journey of transforming tradition into a living, inclusive act of renewal.

Bio:

Can Bora is a queer, interdisciplinary visual and performance artist from Istanbul, based in Amsterdam. With a background in Theatre Studies (Paris 3 – Sorbonne Nouvelle), Contemporary Dance (A.R.E.A.), and Performance Practices (ArtEZ), their work merges theatre, dance, video, and somatics. Rooted in posthumanist thought, Can explores connectivity, identity, and liminality, often addressing experiences of migration, queerness, and cultural in-betweenness. What sets their practice apart is the integration of somatic inquiry, treating the sensing body not only as a medium for expression but as a site for discovery, self-emancipation, and ecological awareness. Their performances often combine Green Box technique, participatory elements, and minimal scenography to blur the boundaries between audience and performer. Can’s work has been presented at venues including Podium Mozaiek, CC Amstel, OCCII, and NDSM TreeHouse. They are also the founder of HEALIVE., a method merging somatic psychology, performance studies, and mindfulness to foster embodied and responsible agency.

Credits:

Concept & Regie: Can Bora

Text: Can Bora & Basak Layic 


Performers: Can Bora & Berat Bebek

Video: Can Bora & Batuhan Keskiner

Light: Can Bora & Elio Troullakis

Sound design: Rens Blonk

Costumes: Thommy Kraft & Gizem Dogu

Accessories & makeup design: Gizem Dogu


Technical Assistance: Elio Troullakis

Production: Can Bora

Photography: Gergely Ofner & RADVLAD

Final Direction & Dramaturgy: Ipek Sur

The performance is generously supported by AFK, Amarte Fonds, Voordekunst, and Het Cultuurfonds.