| Dressed in five-foot-long leather hoods, the performers cannot see for the duration of the work. The hoods, made by FIVELEFT leather, are inspired by the virtuosic head whip motion found in a multitude of dance forms. The performers’ harnesses directly reference the consent-based culture of BDSM communities. They explore giving and receiving consent through a range of physical touch between bodies, assisted by the leather’s duality as a material that is both soft and hard. |
| “I wanted to explore how the leather hoods could become a medium for finding new ways of moving and connecting with each other, the space and the leather itself. By concealing identity and deliberately withholding the performers’ sight, they must reference sound in order to see. I’m interested in having the audience bear witness to the performers having to navigate this seemingly impossible task. Similar to a spectator sport, the viewer is aware of the rules of the space, but as the work progresses so do the rules of the space.” – Ralph Escamillan (Artistic Director, FakeKnot) |
| whip is a 60-minute duet set in the round, performed by Ralph Escamillan and Daria Mikhaylyuk. Featuring an original multichannel score by Stefan Nazarevich, dynamic lighting by Andie Lloyd with mentorship by Jonathan Kim (Chimerik 似不像 Collective), as well as motion tracking system and new media design by Sammy Chien (Chimerik 似不像 Collective). |
| BIO |
| FakeKnot creates inclusive performance works that strive to understand the complexities of identity and culture through costume, sound, technology, and the body. Artistic Director Ralph Escamillan gathers his breadth of experience as a dancer in street, commercial and contemporary dance to create a truly unique choreographic perspective, while also questioning his identity as a queer person of colour. |
| CREDITS |
| Artistic Direction/Choreography: Ralph Escamillan (FakeKnot) Dancers: Daria Mikhaylyuk, Ralph Escamillan Leather Hoods: fiveleft leather (Lincoln Heller) Costumes: Robyn J. Laxamana Sound: Stefan Nazarevich Lighting Designer & Live Operator: Andie Lloyd Motion Tracking System & New Media Design: Sammy Chien (Chimerik 似不像 Collective) Lighting Design Mentor: Jonathan Kim (Chimerik 似不像 Collective) Dramaturge: Su-Feh Lee, Josh Martin Fabric Sponsor: Lululemon Stage Manager: Gabriel Raminhos |
| IN BRIEF |
| WHAT? whip by FakeKnot WHEN? NOV 3–6, 2021 7:30 PM WHERE? MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) 3680 Jeanne-Mance, Montreal BOX OFFICE? Regular → $28 • Reduced → $22 • Junior & Groups → $16 • Accompanying person → $0 • Passport 4/4 → $64 www.m-a-i.qc.ca/en/boxoffice 514-982-3386 |
MAI acknowledges that the land on which we live and work is part of the unceded territories of the Kanien’keha:ka nation.