Double bill: INGI & Yeye

INGI is a quest by Surinamese natives currently living in the Netherlands. For this, choreographer Gregory ‘Shaggy’ Albertzoon brings together a group of versatile creatives from different art forms to search together for their shared roots and the traditions of their ancestors as the first inhabitants of South America. A culture and customs that for centuries were only passed on by word of mouth. Today, indigenous people strive for conservation and fight an often unfair battle to protect their habitat. Gregory belongs to the generation of Surinamese who grew up in the Netherlands, but feels a strong connection to his indigenous identity.
Through hip-hop dance, song and visual art, INGI (re)shapes old traditions and characteristics, dissects them, explores them and so on and on. ‘So that we will not forget, but know, it is not Indian, it is indigenous. Columbus was wrong’.

As a hip-hop dancer and choreographer, Gregory Albertzoon has been involved in many productions at home and abroad. He is also much in demand as host, MC and jury member for dance competitions and runs his own foundation Free&Style in Amsterdam-Zuidoost.

-|-In Yeye, Suriname-raised dancer Rohiet Tjon Poen Gie explores how his own Catholic beliefs relate to the traditional Afro-Surinamese Winti religion. Should the ‘known’ be let go first to make way for ‘new’ spirituality or can the two stand side by side? In what ways are consequences of slavery felt in this regard? Rohiet merges Hip Hop and contemporary dance with Yeye. Together with Ibrah Silas Jackson, he explores the relationship between denial and recognition, between push and pull.

Rohiet Tjon Poen Gie (1990) grew up in Suriname. As urban dancer, he is known for his own dance style, complementing breaking and popping with other kinds of influences. At a young age, he took classes in ballet, street dance and hip-hop and travelled abroad to dance and battle, winning several awards. After his dance training in both Amsterdam and Tilburg, he worked with choreographers such as Elvis Sebiko (Black Roots foundation), Giovanni Vreede, Blenard Azizaj (a dancer of Akram Khan Dance Company), Shailesh Bahoran and many others. In his own work, Rohiet mixes dance with social themes and searches for the right understanding between different cultures.

INGI

Choreographer: Gregory Albertzoon
Producer: Bijlmer Parktheater

-|- Yeye

Choreographer: Rohiet Tjon Poen Gie
Dancers: Ibrah Silas Jackson kakande & Rohiet Tjon Poen Gie
Producer: Bijlmer Parktheater and DansBrabant