Share the Vibe: Stephan Velema

Dance plays a significant role in the life of filmmaker Stephan Velema. He was a talented breaker when he was still a student at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Recently he made this Share the Vibe video in which everything comes together. The experimental urban scene of Eindhoven captured in 40 seconds.

The video shows the street culture of Eindhoven. But it is also an ode to the city of design. Stephan talks about Anthon Beeke, the famous designer who was one of his teachers at the Academy. Beeke gained fame with his naked girls alphabet. It inspired Stephan to depict the vibes with dancers.

Dark and dreamy

The setting is a bit dark and dreamy. Outside reality, it seems. It could just be images in a person's head. Together with sound composer Joris Tillmans he created the music that matches that feeling. If you listen carefully, you will hear a Japanese drum.

Many of the movements, such as making loops with the arms as if the dancers are unfolding something, come from the urban dance culture. At the same time, you have the feeling that you're watching a modern dance. It was precisely this combination that he wanted to capture. Stephan: 'Something interesting is going on in Eindhoven. You see a lot of guys who became successful in the underground now making new connections with mainstream venues and modern theatre.'

Taking risks

'He who chooses will be chosen', is the philosophy of Eindhoven. But choosing often means letting go of other dreams at the same time. In the case of Stephan, it meant letting go of becoming a professional dancer. Only when he dared to make room for new things could his design skills really blossom. He developed into a filmmaker and spent some time in New York to master the profession. Stephan is currently working on his first feature film.