DURING JULIDANS AND OVER HET IJ FESTIVAL

When a dancer lifts a ballerina into the air and lets her glide through space, we can just call it art. But when a garbage man throws a bag through the air, we say they chuck them. Choreographer Krisztina de Châtel questions these assumptions by exploring the beauty of garbage collection in her latest choreography, Zooi ("Mess").

The performance, which is a collaboration between Dansgroep Krisztina de Châtel and the Department of Waste Collection of the Borough of Amsterdam Oud Zuid, involves dancers, garbage men, street sweepers and their trucks.

Krisztina de Châtel always tries to involve "normal people" in her work. While cycling to her dance studio, she was inspired by the sight of the garbage men at work. De Châtel: "When I looked at their routine movements, I saw beauty in it. In their brightly coloured outfits they threw the bags into trucks with a majestic swing. I noticed an exceptional physical energy. I connect their work and movements with my dance material. It is exciting to transform something which is apparently so mundane into something unusual."

Zooi during Julidans
5, 6, 7 and 8 July 2005
Leidseplein and Vondelpark Amsterdam
5 pm (free entrance, in the open air)
www.julidans.nl

Zooi during Over het IJ Festival
13 July 2005 try-out
14 July 2005 première
15, 16 and 17 July 2005
NDSM-werf Amsterdam 
8.30 pm (14 euro)
Reservations: www.overhetij.nl

Zooi was produced with the financial support of stichting DOEN and the VSBfonds.