Gustavia

Gustavia is a show that brings together two choreographic artists who have very different backgrounds, but are prompted by similar concerns regarding the future of art, and especially performance art.

The show draws on the world of classical burlesque. Classical Burlesque has specific codes and techniques that run through film (Peter Sellers, Tati, Marx Brothers, Keaton, Chaplin, Nanni Moretti…) theater, performance art (Leo Bassi, Anna and Bernard Blume…) as well as the visual arts (Bruce Nauman…).
Burlesque applies techniques of role-reversal and punch-and-dodge; it is an art of transforming incompetence into competence. It distinguishes burlesque heroes from rebel heroes. It emerges from excess speech as well as from absence of speech. Body-burlesque, however, is rooted in squandered energy, repetition and accident. What is conspicuous in burlesque is hidden in dance, since dance has nothing, or almost nothing, comical about it.

Gustavia is a woman’s name, but really just a stage name. Gustavia tries to talk about important subjects that are over her head; timeless classical subjects such as womanhood, death, theater, performance, self representation, the artist. Burlesque, not being a genre, provides a framework for the practice of dance, and for modes of thinking and doing. Through an indirect use of burlesque tools, Gustavia tries to freely describe her profession; sidetracks, worries, catastrophes and joys involving the relationship between contemporary art and life.