PS #14: Lost in Translation?

A number of recent Philly performances have brought up questions about what happens when you take a dance form originally seen on the street, in a cafe or in the fields onto a proscenium stage.  “Staged spectacles” of indigenous dance forms have been on the scene for ages now but we still might long for the “real thing.” Similarly, when a piece was site specific and is staged in a different space, how much gets lost? What have you seen that falls in one of these categories and how did you feel about the “translation”?

Share this article

PARTNER CONTENT

Keep Reading

The Stories We Steal and the Stories We Make

Zoe Farnsworth

A rich performance of Kea Tawana’s life and how constructing reality can be both advantageous and destructive.

Awash in a red light, three femme presenting performers dressed in black hold a boat constructed out of tape and twigs. They are putting two halves of it together: one looks like several apartment buildings all together and the bottom is a clearer boat shape. An oversized coat hangs in the background, along with many different puppets from previous moments scattered along the back of the stage.
Photo: REC Philly

Afrofusion, Bempa’s Way

Zoe Farnsworth

“Untitled” explodes with queer black joy as Bempa gives the audience his own version of a good time.

A black and white bust shot of Bempa looking forwards with a serene and powerful expression. He is black and wears his hair short cut in a fade. His chest juts out forwards proudly in his collared cross hatched shirt.
Photo: Vessel Day