2014
Through this endurance solo I am making reference to my past research on the “exotified other”, acknowledging issues of power dynamics throughout histories of colonialism, post-colonial violence and struggle. Within ballet’s hierarchical order, one strives to attain a certain type of perfect body aesthetic. This may require tools and devices that manipulate and stretch the body to form an “ideal” shape, which over time the body recalls and takes on. A Ballet Foot Stretcher, a wooden device with a “perfectly” formed arch, is used by some dancers to bind their foot over the arch and manipulate the foot’s anatomy. Its aim is that in time the foot will take on this ideal form. In this work I am making reference to my past life as a dancer who was forced to leave due to injury. Within this solo my labour gestures are minimal, but I endure and perform in a constant space of active pain. This tension is apparent in the piece, showcasing a sense of vulnerability and fragility as the body tires and endures pain.