JULIDANS SELECTS

As you all know by now, the Glamcult team loves to dance. What you may not know is how deep our passion for dance actually goes. This is why we are so excited to announce Julidans – AKA the only contemporary dance festival you need. Translating literally to ‘July Dance’ – for our non-Dutch speaking friends – Julidans’ extensive programme will take place from the 2nd to the 16th of July showcasing work form the world’s leading choreographers and surprising talents. You all know we only tell you about events that pass our diversity check and with creatives from various cultural and disciplinary backgrounds, Julidans does just that. Using Internationaal Theater Amsterdam as their festival centre, the 43 performances are spread across 14 locations throughout Amsterdam. To help you navigate this extensive – and honestly just incredible – programme here are our Julidans selects. Hope to see you there ;).  

Starting off on an extra high note we have Florentina Holzinger’s A Divine Comedy. Holzinger – one of our favourite names in contemporary European dance – violently deconstructs gender relations and the representation of the female body in media. One reviewer, upon giving the performance 4.5 stars said “one of the shittiest performances I have ever seen”. Why? Because quite literally, the performers – who are in the nude – let their bodily substances flow as Holzinger mixes bloody slasher movies, trash and live masturbation to create something like no other. Some say it’s vulgar, we say it’s perfectly provocative. The shock effects of her dance theatre performances weave through levels of irony as she uses classical symbols from dance and art history to trailblaze her messages. 

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This year we are welcoming back Via Katlehong, the explosive dance group from the South African townships that you won’t be able to get out of your head. Critics went wild at their first Julidans performance back in 2018 – and for good reason. The group is admired worldwide for their intense driving rhythm that is like no other. This year, we get to experience their newest creation, Via Injabulo. Made in collaboration with dance pioneers Amala Dianor and Marco da Silva Ferreria, you can expect nothing less than the infectious dancing pleasure that exudes from Via Katlehong’s dynamic movement. 

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Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Shamanism met Voguing met Queer? Well, that’s exactly what Choy Ka Fai does in his multimedia dance performance Yishun is Burning. In order to uncover the contemporary rituals of our time, Fai masterfully blends tradition and hyperrealism with live performances and documentary from Yishun (the dark suburb of Singapore). The performance is a call for an expanded consciousness that in turn fights for the freedom of expression. Through ingenious combinations, Fai defamiliarises ballroom and other scenes to achieve an act like no other. 

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Belfiore’s work is not merely a choreographed dance but rather a garden of “social sculptures”. Using the extreme opposites of emotion he creates hallucinatory expressions that are meant to make a literal impact. In THE MARKET he uses his style to build a radical performance about the redistribution of our wealth. This hyper-visual performance is the perfect balance of humour and seriousness that moves every viewer in a personal way. His eloquent approach towards the complexities of capitalism is impeccable. Through alienating the viewer – just as capitalism alienates the individual – he offers them his solution to the ailments of this economic system. It’s beautiful, it’s funny, it’s dark. It’s a must-see. 

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Delving deep into people’s emotions through her minimalist and raw dance style, Anna Van Den Broek is THE moment. Her Julidans performance, Joy Enjoy Joy, celebrates the organic powers of life with all colours of the rainbow and vivacious dance. The multi-media approach she takes blends movement with music, text and video to create an eclectic experience like no other. Throughout the performance, closeups of the dancers are projected onto the backdrop – blending live dance with instant registration. The intensity this creates makes Van Den Broek’s work unapologetically inescapable – and we’re obsessed.

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Get ready for a “dance meets music” party with Into the Open. The “musical LSD Trip from Rock Heaven” is a dance concert in the one and only Max venue at Melkweg. This absurd yet utterly compelling performance erases every boundary between music and dance. After being in and out of lockdowns, choreographer Lisbeth Gruwez and musician Maarten van Cauwenberghe decided the only medicine was to let loose – and mosh. The punk band Dendermonde will take centre stage supported by four dancers who will embark on a shared energy like no other. The best part is, as the seven performers go absolutely mad, we, the audience will go even harder.  

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