Summer Opening at Art Biesenthal

The Performance: 

For many women, their upbringing emphasized the significance of appearing thin and attractive as a means to achieve success. For dancers this rings even more true, as there exists an inherent objectification of the body by way of their profession. The piece puts into question how many societal expectations placed on women - to behave in a reserved and socially accepted manner or certain beauty standards, including a particular body type, facial features, and grooming practices, have shaped female identity and contributed to prevailing notions around femininity. While asserting that women should not exist merely in relation to men or be objectified, the piece grapples with the paradox of the dancers own dance movements being both feminine and rooted in their womanhood, yet also potentially confining. It contemplates the authenticity of identity and ponders how a dancer, female, male or non-binary might express themselves if free from societal constraints and gender binaries. The work concludes with an introspection of unexplored aspects of the self, which may have been left in the dark.