Jelena Janković / Aleksandra Perović

Folk

Dunja Jocić / Spellbound Ballet Rome

Sat 14 Nov '26 20:30 - 21:35

International, hypnotic dance performance about the seduction of the collective

Sat 14 Nov '26

20:30 - 21:35

Sat 14 Nov '26

20:30 - 21:35

Philipszaal

Tickets

In Folk, an exuberant club night slowly transforms into an intoxicating ritual. The dance floor transforms into an altar, and the night into a chain of rituals in which uniformity takes over. As the atmosphere tilts, so do the dynamics: the group forms a collective identity that constantly shifts, without a foothold, in which individuals are absorbed or repelled.

Zoom in

Eight dancers take the audience into a physical and immersive experience in which group behavior unfolds according to a different logic each time. We are sucked into increasingly strange rituals, and our ideas about what we check and feel are turned upside down each time. The performance makes us feel how confrontational, seductive and frightening collective forces can be.

Jocić draws inspiration from the rich folk traditions of former Yugoslavia and from the turbulent 1990s, when ideological shifts profoundly altered everyday life and personal identity. Beyond this context, Jocić reconsiders her own roots and draws parallels with the world today.

In Folk, Jocić uses the raw energy of Balkan music and dance to create new rituals: at the intersection of tradition, trance and transformation, with echoes of social upheaval.

Media coverage ofFolk
“Folk is a superb performance featuring group dance that creates stunning imagery. This work is about us, here, now.” ( Het Parool)
“The intense scenes and rich music follow one another in rapid succession, as if it were impossible to keep up with everything that is constantly changing.” (★★★★ Volkskrant)

About Dunja Jocić
Dunja Jocić creates cinematic dance performances that reveal the depths of the human psyche. Her work, steeped in her background in ballet and as an elite athlete in former Yugoslavia, was awarded the VSCD Dance Award De Zwaan. An in-demand choreographer for major ballet companies in Germany, Italy and Switzerland, she is solidifying her international reputation.

Credits

Choreography and Direction: Dunja Jocić Dancers: Giovanni Visone, Roberto Pontieri, Thomas Fauc, Ivan Tocchetti, Alice Leoni, Miriam Raffone, Tessa Boelens, Jacob Donnarumma Music by Renger Koning with additional music by David Shaw Lighting Design by Nuno Salsinha Costume Design by Dejana Vucice Set Design by Douwe Hibma Photography by Jelena Janković & SHTROXY