Real freedom, what does that look like? Choreographer and dancer In in the youth care institution where he grew up, Dalton Jansen often looked out of the window at the birds. They were free, but busy all day gathering their food. How would he fare when he was soon free? Would he make it out there in the outside world? In the DOX show Birds, Dalton depicts the difficult road to adulthood of young people who cannot live at home.

In this performance full of dance, spoken word and music, you are sucked into the experience of young people who live in a youth care institution. How do you deal with the future if you haven't had a safe nest? Are you ready for society? And is society ready for you?

With Birds, Dalton shows that it is possible to fight your way out of a plight, even if it is not easy. ‘If you live in a youth care institution, you can get the feeling that you are an outsider. Parents, holidays, a 'normal' life: all things you don't know. Thinking about the future can therefore be very frightening. Also, there is often not much attention for talent in these kinds of institutions. For example, they rejected the idea that I wanted to dance. By talking to these young people and creating a performance about this, I want to make their wishes and dreams visible, give them a voice.'

Winner of the Zilveren Krekel for most impressive production in youth theatre

In Birds, Dalton translates the stories of the young people he spoke to into a kaleidoscopic mix of disciplines that challenges reflection. How do you deal with adversity? Do you dare to dream? Do you spread your wings hoping you can fly?

About Dalton Jansen
Last year Dalton Jansen won the Prize of the Nederlandse Dansdagen Maastricht. This summer, he was awarded the Zilveren Krekel (Silver Cricket) for most impressive production in youth theatre thanks to his performance Birds. Jansen uses Antillean culture and its place and role in it as inspiration for his creations, with themes such as inclusion and diversity. He combines multiple disciplines, such as spoken word, hip hop, contemporary and break dance. “The jury characterizes Dalton Jansen as an autonomous, artisan-oriented maker, who knows how to create a clear dance language with diverse dancers. With his activist method he is able to connect with a wide audience, which largely exist out of people who do not yet find their way to the theater but can identify with his work. A valuable addition to the Dutch dance landscape.”