Photo by Ji Yang
IMPACT Performance Festival, 2024
For Venus, Delicious, and Magic.
"You're exerting yourself using every muscle in your body, doing this really hard shit, but you're supposed to look so beautiful and graceful and it's not supposed to show on your face, and you're supposed to smile. It's supposed to be effortless. I think it extends beyond this specific context too. I feel like women are always supposed to look effortless in what they do. It's supposed to look like you didn't try, and if it looks like you tried too hard, then it takes away from your beauty."-Venus
A series of interviews were conducted in collaboration with Chicago area strippers in the process of developing the work. Set pieces were generously loaned by dancers for the duration of the performance.
Photo by Eugene Tang
Photo by Ji Yang