iele paloumpis
In place of catastrophe, a clear night sky

DATE/TIME/TICKETS

August 20-26, 2018

Creative Residency Curated by Blaze Ferrer.

When something irrevocably disappears, leaving a ghost in its wake, what emerges out of that loss? I intend to explore this question through the lenses of historical violence and disability justice.

I am keeping faith that our current moment is just before a new day. But I’m not interested in utopia, I am interested in complexity. The title simultaneously speaks of erasure and lack of cultural memory while also hinting toward a kind of hope – what would it be like if from the ashes, we could actually be born anew? What will it take to reckon with our histories, heal the festering wounds and dream into a rooted future? We will explore answers in the context of both imperialist violence and physical disabilities: another source of trauma within an ableist society.

I’m interested in how bodies evolve after impairment or grief. As dancers we’re asking: what tools do we have from our ancestors? What magics do we conjure all our own? Looking to the ancestors of the future for guidance, we’ve been exploring ideas around psychic time travel – casting lifelines into the future. We strive to exist deeply within and radically outside of our bodies, disorienting viewers by inviting them into our shifting states of consciousness, thus highlighting the variables of perception.

This crafted disorientation speaks directly to my experience as someone who is queer, trans and visually impaired. With poets, musicians, and costume designers, this work will be an immersive sensory landscape that centers visually impaired audience members through text, music, and costumes that reflect and enhance the dancing.

Created by iele paloumpis. Collaborators: Marielys Burgos Meléndez, Krishna Washburn, Marýa Wethers.