Neptune
Neptune
Shows
Surrounded by melting ice blocks, Lois Alexander investigates the identity of black women.
Julidans NL
Starting time 08:30 p.m.
Location Podium Mozaïek
Alexander examines the structures that have influenced and shaped black women throughout history.
In Neptune, water is the element that Lois Alexander uses to explore her world. Alexander was born in California, but carries the whole world in her roots. She is of African-American, Filipino, and Chinese descent. For Alexander, nature is a great source of knowledge: "We can learn so much from the world around us. I am also inspired by ideas from Afro-futurism, which interweaves stories from the African diaspora with fantasy. And by thinkers like Audre Lorde, who encourages people to use all their skills to realise new realities."
-|-Sometimes Alexander becomes liquid herself in her water choreography. In Neptune, water stands for transformation. Alexander finds it fascinating how water can change from solid matter (ice) to liquid element, to gas, and based her dance on these fluid properties. In this performance, Alexander examines the structures that have influenced and shaped black women throughout history. She rewrites that history from her own perspective. Neptune is about the identity and reality of women of colour, the power of the gaze of others, reflections, and the symbolism of chains in the history of black women. The chains holding up the melting ice blocks in the scenery make that wry point visible. At the crossroads of dance, visual art and music, Neptune wants to create space for thinking about new ways of being.
Lois Alexander
Alexander studied dance in New York at the Alvin Ailey School and the Juilliard School and worked with theatre makers/choreographers such as Romeo Castellucci, Stijn Celis and Christoph Winkler. At Dansmakers in Amsterdam, she created her first own work, Fading Fire (2018). She created Neptune as an artist in residence at Dansmakers Amsterdam in 2019-2020. As of 2021, Neptune is supported by ICK Artist Space. The performance was selected for the Top Twenty 2021 ‘most promising makers’ of the European network Aerowaves.
Credits
Choreography & performance Lois Alexander
Scenography Nina Kay
Music composition Shannon Sea
Artistic advice Suzy Blok, Fernando Belfiore
Dramaturgical Advice Alexandra Hennig, Lara van Lookeren
Production Dansmakers Amsterdam
Co-production Sophiensæle Berlin
Costume stylist Steffi Barbian
Created with financial support from Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunsten, AFK 3Package Deal, Dansgroep Amsterdam, Dansmakers Amsterdam, Young Art Support Amsterdam
Tour production & management ICK Dans Amsterdam
You do not need a Corona toegangsbewijs for this performance
For activities and performances for small groups without a Coronatoegangsbewijs, the 1.5-metre distance must be respected. You do not need a Coronatoegangsbewijs for performances at Theater Bellevue, Melkweg Upstairs, Podium Mozaïek, Bijlmer Parktheater, Meervaart and Vondelpark Openlucht Theater.