In a special solo performance, Eisa Jocson, a contemporary choreographer and visual artist from the Philippines, embodies a macho dancer. Macho dancing is performed by young men in nightclubs in the Philippines. It is an economically motivated form of dance that mimics and constructs a masculine fantasy desired by paying clients.
Macho dancers occupy marginal positions in society, but in their performances exude power. They cast a spell with their movement, transporting the audience into a limbo-like space where time slows down. Men wear their signature cowboy boots, gyrating to 90's American power ballads.
In Macho Dancer, Jocson directs attention to her body as an object and a product. She exposes gender and body politics in the service and entertainment industries, with the focus on Filipino migrant workers often known as Overseas Filipino Workers. She asks: how do certain bodies move and work across different borders?
Jocson will also host two workshops as part of her ongoing work Philippine Macho Academy, teaching participants basic macho moves.
Please note that photos and videos are not permitted during the performances.
We are unable to admit latecomers to this event.
