A woman dangles at the end of her rope in an historically suspended tale of Piñatas, Miss Universe and the fatal body politics of the feminine. Joined by her dynamic cast of grotesque-burlesque modern dancers, the PussyFleet ensemble moves through 500 years of re-appropriated rituals that involve breaking open, over-consumption, body manipulation and a re-framing of sex, race and power.
Piñata 45: The End of Her Rope
Dance Mission Theater 3316 24th Street, San Francisco
Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 at 8:00 pm
Tickets $20
A reference to the president, as well as, to the dance company name, Piñata 45: The End of Her Rope, is a breakable subject. While the former owner of Miss Universe and accused perpetrator of sexual harassment and domestic violence sits in the white house, the number of women speaking out against violence is rising. For the Piñata Dance Collective, the body becomes a site and process of resilience and fragility.
On the pedestal of beauty, the stage becomes a memorial altar for women deceased by cosmetic surgery, suicide, eating disorders and violence. The underbelly of the Miss Universe contest reveals personal-political stories by the performers tackling racial oppression, objectification and misogyny through the multi-media language of movement, poetry, video and music.
- The story of “Zinzi” written and performed by Issachar Curbeeon with musical composition by Chelsea Kirby, reflects on racism in the mirror of an African American girl with body dysmorphia.
- Ronja Ver, performs a piece about domestic violence as it relates to her past; and the story of Miss Venezuela is danced by Andreina Maldonado exposing the shadow of cosmetic surgery historically situated within a repressive government regime.
- Boubion’s, Piñata Humana, attempts to lift the blindfold off of the male gaze with guest collaborators Kyle Her, Cesar Soto and Scott Wells.
- The evening includes a new iteration of “#DontGrab”, the PussyFleet’s response to the lewd conversation between Trump and Billy Bush featuring award-winning composer, David Molina. It was performed last November, for FLACC 2017, the 4th Annual Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers, founded by Liz Duran Boubion.
Collaborative Artists: Issachar Curbeeon, Ronja Ver, Andreina Maldonado, Kristen Rulifson, Dominique Nigro, Scott Wells, Kyle Her, Cesar Soto, David Molina and live music by Chelsea Kirby.