Trash Dance: The best money you ever spent.

asdfasdfasdf

Can we please discuss how smile-inducing this is?


This is a scene from Trash Dance, an upcoming documentary from Andrew Garrison. If you live in Austin, that name may sound familiar to you: Andrew is the man behind the on-going film project, East Austin Stories.

Anyway, I heard about Trash Dance on Twitter last week from my buddy Anna.  This is a film about a huge dance performed last year by the city of Austin's trash collectors. The Austin American-Statesman named it the #1 Arts Event of 2009.  Over 2,000 people came out to watch it.

Here's another fact. Andrew and company are raising money to finish the film, and have even started a Kickstarter page.  Some observations:

A) Alison Orr.  Don't you just want to squeeze her?  She's the choreographer. Maybe she'd agree to do an interview on this blog sometime. I like talking to inspiring people.

B) Speaking of hugs, check out moment 8:40, when the harmonica player sassily breaks it down, and the collectors dance with their trash cans.  GRIN.

C) The premiere of the film will be Spring 2011, and will involve garbage trucks riding down Congress Avenue to deliver the stars to the red carpet!  Ok, that wasn't an observation. It says that on the Kickstarter page.  Which brings me to my next point.

D) The film has 19 days to raise the rest of their goal, roughly $2500.  Let's do it.  Because in addition to the heartwarming dance performance itself, the film follows the trash collectors/dancers, their hopes and their dreams:

"Anthony wants to make it big as a jam skater and open his own studio. Virginia works out at a boxing gym, prepares for her son’s baby shower and works in a daycare on Sundays. Orange plays harmonica in a blues band. Lee, a single father, says everything he does, he does for his seven-year-old daughter."

A single daddy, are you kidding me?  Finger, make like a George Foreman.* By which I mean, press the pledge button.

*Totally awesome expression I just made up.