About the artwork

This is a re-staging of the work “Snow Workers’ Ballet” that was performed in 2003. The snowplow drivers who support life in heavy snowfall areas demonstrated their advanced driving skills and teamwork through a ballet performance.

<From the artist’s comments at the time of the 2003 performance
I heard that they have the highest snowfall in the world when I went to Echigo-Tsumari the summer before. I heard how the snow workers open up the roads and made it possible for life to go on in the severe winter. I thought the beauty in the rich and fertile summer is a trade-off from such a hard winter. When I met the 13 snow workers, I said to them,“Everyone thinks you are heroes in the winter, right?” And they said, “Right.” “But in the summer, I’ll bet everyone forgets about you, right?” And they smiled and shook their heads “Right.” “So this summer let’s remind them.” I proposed a snow workers ballet in 8 movements: Grand entrance, Shake, Romeo & Juliet, Running Spiral, Zigzag, Come to the audience and bow, Long Diagonal, Grand Finale. I refused to plan anything in advance. I was sure that we could take the risk to pull it together, formed out of simply working with the workers, not out of anything else.

Direction = Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Performances = 13 snowplows (tire dozers, rotary, motor graders), 15 drivers, 1 conductor
Dates = July 30, August 18, and September 15, 2012