Vier de Zomer - Albrandwaardsedijk

On October 27, 2022, something special happened at the psychiatric clinic Antes Poortugaal: the very first Swarm dance. A group of clients and therapists from the addiction clinic joined forces with Swarm dancers. DJ Cheb Runner set the mood with a mix of his own beats and local hits.

The idea came from Sylvie de Kubber, a therapist at Antes. She noticed that inside the clinic there was plenty of talking about problems — but very little space for joy, movement, and just letting go. As she said: “It’ll already be a success if it touches even one person.”

It turned out to be much more. The dance spread like a spark: kids at a nearby daycare were cheering and jumping on their playground, an elderly woman joined in from behind her window, and across the clinic grounds the atmosphere completely shifted.

What began as a kind of guerilla action — against the cuts and stagnation in mental health care — grew into something lasting. People immediately asked if it could happen every week. It became a seasonal ritual instead: dancing outdoors, marking the seasons, celebrating together.

And now — years later — the Swarm is still dancing.