Beauty is a provocative dance theater work exploring the American notion of female beauty. It frames the dialogue of the cultural pressures surrounding women’s physique, attire, and appearance around the quintessential image of American beauty: Barbie.
Movement vocabulary is derived from an investigation of Barbie’s limited, robotic abilities contrasted with a fully expressive dance vocabulary. Beauty includes a Barbie beauty contest and an intimate encounter between Barbie and Ken. During the course of the evening, we become acquainted with the performers as Barbie dolls, as contestants, as characters with beauty aspirations, and as the dancers behind all these personas.
Direction: Jane Comfort
Choreography: Jane Comfort and Company
Dramaturgy: Anne Davison
Sets and Costumes: Liz Prince
Lighting Design: David Ferri
Sound Design: Brandon Wolcott
Cast:
Lucie Baker
Leslie Cuyjet
Sean Donovan
Ellie Harrison
Meredith Riley Stewart
Petra van Noort
Performance History:
New York Premiere: La Mama E.T.C. – May 2012
First Performances: Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival – July 2011
Made possible through funds from:
2010 Guggenheim Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts 2011
