Copyright information:Daniel Nicolaevsky
What power does joy hold in the face of a collapsing world? How can joy become a form of resistance? With Atomic Joy, Brazilian choreographer Ana Pi shows how joy can function as an active force: something that sharpens the senses, sets bodies in motion and brings people together. Here, joy becomes a way of making space for new forms of togetherness and imagination.
Performed by eight young dancers from the Paris street dance scene and inspired by the energy of dance battles, Ana Pi creates a space where tension and defiance meet. Ana Pi previously played at Holland Festival in 2024; her performance The Divine Cypher was selected that year as one of the HF Young Favourites.
The new performance Atomic Joy draws on dance practices from the Transatlantic African diaspora, in which movement is passed down from generation to generation, often in times of struggle. This history is palpable, yet the work is equally oriented toward the future: each gesture connects memory with the desire for a shared horizon.
Set to a composition by pianist CHASSOL, Atomic Joy unfolds as an energetic, layered dance in which tenderness, technical virtuosity and raw power coexist. In this way, Atomic Joy becomes a jubilant and hopeful reimagining of reality.
Meet the Artist, DJ Ays and a dance workshop
June 5 | After the performance, Rotterdam-based DJ Ays takes over. With an eclectic mix of disco, boogie, house, jazz, and Afro- and Brazilian influences, she creates warm, high-energy sets full of musical storytelling. Her sound connects seamlessly to the exuberant and unifying energy of Ana Pi’s performance, perfect as a soundtrack to keep moving a little longer.
June 6 | Around ten minutes after the performance, there will be a Meet the Artist with Ana Pi. The talk is led by journalist, writer, program maker, and presenter Clarice Gargard. Gargard works on themes such as power, resistance, feminism, and social justice, and produces radio, television, and written work for outlets including De Correspondent, NRC, VPRO, and others.
She grew up in Liberia and the Netherlands and is known for her research-driven, engaged practice, including the book Drakendochter and the documentary De waarheid over mijn vader, which won a Gouden Kalf. She is also the co-founder of Lilith Magazine and an active speaker and curator in public debates on racism, feminism, and decolonial perspectives.
June 7 | On June 7, Ana Pi leads the dance workshop Joy is not a metaphor, where participants explore joy as a source of creative experimentation.
dates
Fri June 5 7:30 PM
Sat June 6 7:30 PM
Sun June 7 7:30 PM
prices
- default € 27
- CJP € 20
- HF Young € 20,50
- youth under 18 € 15
information
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Language no problem
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50 minutes (zonder pauze)
6 June at 8:30 pm, moderator Clarice Gargard
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Atomic Joy
Levi Fanan / Pinacoteca de São Paulo
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Atomic Joy
Levi Fanan / Pinacoteca de São Paulo
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Ana Pi, regie, concept, choreographer and visual artist
NA MATA LAB
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Ays, DJ (5 June)
james gallagher
