Choreographer and dancer Giorgio Costa was invited to appear on the radio program Kunststof. There, he told presenter Eric Corton all about the theatre and dance performance he conceived and created under the banner of LloydsCompany: Three Little Birds. It has been nominated for the Jonge Zwaan Dance Production 2025 award.

At first, I didn't know there were awards for dancers. Until a schoolmate was nominated for such a Swan about fifteen years ago. From then on, I thought: I want that too. So when I danced in pieces over the past few years, I always thought that maybe this would be the piece that would win this award. But in the end, my own choreography was nominated. That was unbelievable. The award will be presented on October 3rd. How will Giorgio react? Corton wonders. I used to be a Kanye West fan. When he won one of his first major awards, he said, "Everyone wanted to know what I would do if I didn't win, well, I guess they'll never know." So I think I'm going to copy that. Giorgio laughs.

HIPHOP AS A SERIOUS ART FORM

Costa is also thrilled with the nomination for what it does for hip-hop. "In the past, the dance world was more focused on modern and abstract styles, but in recent years, hip-hop has become increasingly prominent. You can no longer ignore the power of hip-hop. It keeps evolving; sometimes you can't believe what you see anymore. And people from the hip-hop scene are increasingly seeking out theatres. This allows institutions to now produce hip-hop performances independently, instead of it only being possible in a crossover with other dance in the past. That also has to do with diversity and inclusion. This makes us want to meet other people and cultures and see and use different things. Hip-hop also benefits from that. So, in that respect too, it's great if we win this award."

The idea of a Three little birds

He came up with the idea for Three Little Birds after seeing a puppet show in Rotterdam, where children were screaming with excitement. "I realized that adults only react at the end of a performance, but children respond to everything immediately. Then I thought it would be fun to create something for children. I got in the car and heard the song Three Little Birds by U-niq. In this track, the Rotterdam rapper addresses a young boy, telling him he needs to have faith in himself and his future. His message resonated with me. Then I wondered: what isn’t possible in real life but can happen in the theatre world? That’s how I came across a little bird. Because we all want to learn to fly."

THE MAKING OF THREE LITTLE BIRDS

He got started on the performance. Normally, I dance. In this choreography, you can also see that we try to help each other, for example, by holding each other up when we do a flip." But in doing so, he often fell back on text. "That's also fun for children, being able to make jokes like that. So, the text revisits brotherhood and trust." This is how he conveys a message to the youth and parents. "If you see someone who is different, they're not immediately an oddball. You are allowed to just be. Making it turned out to be easier than expected. The advantage was that I know the boys so well that I know how they might say something. If I had found dancers through an audition, things might have turned out differently."

Giorgio created the performance under the banner of LloydsCompany, founded by Lloyd Marengo. “He is an important person to me. By the way, for all Rotterdam dancers, he’s kind of a godfather to them. He was also the first person I told about the idea for Three Little Birds. Two weeks later, he called me and said, ‘Yo, we’re going to make this show.’ He trusted me; he knows what I’m capable of.”

Lloyd visited regularly during the making of the performance, taking a helicopter view. For example, he suggested that some moments should be held a little longer. The performance was a great success: shows were often sold out. The tour has been extended and will be revived in 2027. “We wouldn’t have dared to dream of that.”

Brotherhood

Brotherhood is an important theme in the performance Three Little Birds. "I think this is also important in my life, yes. I've known the boys I dance with in the performance for over twenty years. We traveled all over the world and appeared on many TV shows with the dance group Groove Kings. So in a way, this performance actually started twenty years ago. That we can still do this at this age and have our work recognized in this way is crazy, it’s full circle."

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: GIORGIO COSTA, POM ARNOLD, AND REMSES RAFAELA

He is also happy with the trust he has received from his friends to create this performance. "I think we were waiting for each other after we had gone our separate ways in our careers." In a way, we longed to feel that friendship all day long again. Because you have a different bond with a colleague you sometimes work with. The fact that they are friends through thick and thin doesn't mean they don't work hard. "Of course, there were days when we couldn't stand each other because when we're together, we can be three mischievous guests, really annoying. Sometimes we get two sandwiches and then we don't feel like rehearsing anymore. But then we can also say to each other that we're going to rock it and then we really do. So we could find a balance between playing and being serious." He quickly gained brotherhood from the hip-hop community. For example, I often went to the hip-hop house. That's where I met Lloyd Marengo too. That was really a community. If you saw us, we were stereotypical guys, but when we were in the car going to a gig, we had deep conversations. Then you'll get to know each other better and appreciate each other more. In the beginning, I was one of the youngest guys, so you look up to the older guys, then you learn from their actions and behaviour. That shapes you.

DANCE AS MEDICINE

And brotherhood isn't the only thing he incorporated into the performance from his own experience. "I think I unconsciously let things I've experienced in my career come back. That's how what we do on stage comes from our hearts. It's very pure. The audience also says that when they look at us, they believe us.

That's probably because his love for music and dance was instilled in him from a young age. "My father has a large record collection, and my sister was always lip-syncing." In his first year of high school, he was first introduced to breakdancing and hip-hop. At my first school party, I saw boys breakdancing for the first time. I was so impressed by it: by the dance, but also by the applause and cheering." While all his peers were playing soccer, he was lip-syncing to the Backstreet Boys in the living room and doing sports like breakdancing. He quickly started participating in battles, which are competitions, often in a circle with other breakdancers. He also received a lot of cheers. "If you do a lot of performances and battles, you learn moves that drive the audience wild. We call those signatures. If you train for a long time and can do more of those moves, at some point you can just please the audience for 30 minutes, you can captivate them. That's a special feeling you have inside. Since then, breakdancing has been an indelible part of his life. "I grew up with that, my friends come from the same world, my career is based on it for twenty years... it's my outlet. When I'm feeling down, I feel like dancing to shake it off and let it go.

When I put on music and start freestyling, I feel myself becoming more relaxed, both mentally and physically; it's like a kind of medicine."

Act normal

He made dancing his profession and tried his luck in New York. "I was in dance school when I was told that I could do certain things up to a certain level in the Netherlands. But that I had to go to LA to become a superstar and do a lot of touring. Two of my friends already went there, like Timor. So then I went too; they introduced me to people. I saw that the world was essentially the same as in the Netherlands, just bigger. There are 400 to 500 dancers auditioning, while they only need 4 dancers." Yet New York wasn't his place. "I was too sober for the way people interacted there. People compare Rotterdam to New York because it's the birthplace of hip-hop. But Rotterdam has a down-to-earth and dry attitude; show me what you can do first. I got homesick for my own friends and for just being normal.

And he still does that in the Netherlands. Despite becoming so good that he was able to dance for brands, he remains grounded. "I was more concerned with my body back then because sometimes I suddenly had to take my shirt off or something. But now I've become more relaxed about that. I eat healthy as part of my lifestyle, but not just salad.

Each one, teach one.

Giorgio returned to the Netherlands and, in addition to performing, also started teaching. In hip-hop, we have a rule of thumb: Each One Teach One. This means the intention is for you to pass on your knowledge to the next generation, ensuring the knowledge is preserved. Many people go into teaching for financial stability because gigs come and go. But when I started teaching, I grew to love it more and more. And I got older, so I started thinking differently. Then I started seeing it as a contribution to the future, because teaching makes my field of work better. If you see the value of that, you'll teach differently than if you just take euros." He's also having a lot of fun teaching now. "When you laugh and enjoy yourself, you can learn more than when you feel pressured or stressed." So if I can take away that pressure and let them experience joy, then people can develop more."

He became so good at teaching that he was named Teacher of the Year in 2019. That was weird. Because teachers always told me I wouldn't amount to anything. I was seen as a big problem at school; I was also suspended and things like that. But it was different then. If I were in class now, I would definitely be labelled with ADHD. But back then, there weren't enough teachers who wondered what else they could do with me besides just expecting me to be quiet and focused. So when I became Teacher of the Year, it felt like a middle finger to all the teachers who didn't give me a chance."

Now he's trying to do the things he didn't like about education as a student better. So, going the extra mile for students if you see they have additional problems, like a difficult home situation or something. I've also never told students that they wouldn't amount to anything. I'm constantly thinking about what kind of environment I need to give someone that will actually encourage them to learn. Then you connect with each other on a different level. I think it's important as a teacher not to do what you did last year, because the energy, dynamics, and issues change every year, so you have to adapt to that. I also told the jury of 'Teacher of the Year' that I stand in the classroom instead of in front of it. They thought it was a great quote, but for me, it's very normal. This way of thinking has changed the structure of my lesson.

Rewarded

Teacher of the Year, a nomination for the Young Swan... Giorgio is very happy about it. These are cool things. Now that I'm older, I think I'm getting a lot back. When you're young, you get that more naturally, like a shoelace diploma, but when you're older, you have to seek it out yourself. So that makes a distinction extra cool. It proves to me that no matter where you come from, anything is still possible. So you can just get kicked out of school and ten years later become Teacher of the Year, or have a Backstreet Boys poster and later be nominated for the Young Swan. As long as you keep believing in yourself and do good for the people around you, you will be rewarded.

Make a difference

He enjoyed teaching young people so much that he retrained as a youth worker. "Dancing is quite self-centred: I do shows, I teach, but I wondered what my contribution to the world is. In teaching, I enjoyed working with young people, inspiring them, and motivating them. I wanted to take that to another level. In Rotterdam, you have quite a few disadvantaged neighbourhoods where you can make a difference. It can't be everywhere, but if I can make a difference for just one or three...

He works primarily with boys. They come from a neighbourhood that is looked down upon. They are told that nothing will come of them. They just accept that. At school, they are seen as smart alecks, hyperactive, and difficult. Giorgio quickly connects with these guys. You feel a certain energy from each other. That has to do with how you look, how you speak: it needs to be accessible. I dress and act young, so they can see you as a role model more easily, and they'll be quicker to adopt something from you. And I don't immediately ask difficult questions the first or second time I meet them. First, I talk to them about what they want to talk about. Then there's an opportunity to throw in a question, and you can delve into that later. That's how you build trust." That way he can teach them everything. "Especially small things like washing your hands before you handle onions. If you know these little etiquettes, you won't be labelled as quickly later on. He does feel a certain pressure when he works with these guys. You can't lie to them. Once you gain their trust, you shouldn't damage it again, because then you're the one doing that. And I'm starting to gain that confidence.

Creative Bubble No Rest

Even though youth work is good for him, he won’t stop dancing. “Sometimes I struggle with those thoughts because you notice you’re getting older in some silly ways. For example, I used to warm up in two minutes; now it takes me longer. Luckily, I’ve been active all this time, so I still remember all the moves. But physical recovery just takes longer. We once had six shows in three days, and after that, I thought, ‘When will I be able to walk normally again?’ I used to be fine the next day,” he laughs.

“But if I stop, I think the creative bubble inside me wouldn’t find peace. In Three Little Birds I’m still dancing in the show, but I can also choose to work as a choreographer without dancing myself. My dream is to start my own foundation so I can produce my own work, so I’m not planning to stop anytime soon.”

Little bird, little bird

In a performance full of tricks, hip-hop and breakdance, acrobatics, and acting, the audience goes on an adventure with two brothers. On a warm day, they are allowed to camp in their parents' backyard, which in their imagination transforms into a vast forest. As soon as evening falls, the brothers hear strange noises and meet a strange new friend...

'Little, Little Bird' is about a boy who wants to be a bird and receives support from an unexpected source. The performance tells a story about friendship and believing in what you can become.

The performance will be playing at festivals such as the Boulevard Theatre Festival and the De Betovering Festival this summer and autumn, as well as in a few theatres. After that, the show will return to theatres from February through April 2027.