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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Trash Dance: The best money you ever spent.

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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.

13 comments:

Beth H said...

O.M.G. soooo grin-inducing. thanks for sharing this, Tolly! i heard about that performance after the fact & totally wished i could have seen it. pledging & sharing this!!!

Austin Eavesdropper said...

@Beth - No problem, woman! :) I totally want it to become a full-fledged movie, and hopefully it will be! Thanks so much for Tweeting and sharing it. :)

Megan said...

"Finger, make like a George Foreman." I will forever use this expression.

Grin inducing and tear inducing as well! That shot of Allison filled with so much emotion watching it all finally happen really got me. I can't believe I missed this...how the hell did that happen? Will be following this--thanks for sharing!

Austin Eavesdropper said...

@Megan - LOL, I knew you could appreciate that flash of wit. Allison, seriously!!! How can we make her our friend? Our *real life* friend?

life coach training said...

I didn't see this video. That's video is so cool. From the video I can say that this documentary film is good. You have to wait upto 2001. I'm so excited...

Megan said...

Tolly--making Allison our real life friend is a real life possibility. Let's Ham Game this, George Foreman finger.

What the,
Megan

Dad said...

Wow! I'm in it for some bucks. Where do I send my donation?

Allison Orr said...

hey there! Allison Orr here. So very happy to have this posting on your blog and I am need some more good friends- so let's talk! I really appreciate all you are doing to plug this film. Andy is nearly to his goal, thanks to good people like yourself. I am happy to do an interview- always up for talking about myself! My website is www.forkliftdanceworks.org and my contact info is there and again I would love love love to talk more.

Take care! Allison

Austin Eavesdropper said...

@Dad - Hi Daddy! Just click the link above to go to the Kickstarter page, and you can do it all online.

@Allison - OMG! I'm so happy you're here!! We would be 100% down for interviewing you, anytime you are available. What is your email? We'll get this party started.

@Megan - WE DID IT!!!

Trevor said...

How beautiful! Trash collecting is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, even more dangerous than being a cop. We don't give them enough credit, for sure.

I lived in Wildwood, NJ one summer. Sitting on my porch with some other guys one morning, the collectors came by. Two shirtless and totally ripped African American gentlemen hung on to the back of the truck. With real energy and grace, speed and precision, they jumped off the truck, grabbed the cans, dump them in the truck, put the cans back, and leap back on the truck. Once each of them had yelled, "GO!" the driver would speed up to the next group of cans. From our porch, we got to see them do this three or four times. We looked at each other silently until my buddy said, "I want to be a garbage man!" It was quite impressive.

Austin Eavesdropper said...

UPDATE: You guys. Trash Dance totally made goal!!!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/189615064/trash-dance-the-movie?pos=6&ref=spotlight

Beth H said...

YAY!!!!! sooo happy for them & can't wait to see the movie. gotta love them internets for facilitating funding like this!

A. Garrison said...

Thanks, you all!

Andy