KickStart 2023 Commissioned Choreographer
Marbella Carlos
Choreographer/ Performer
Montreal
Marbella Carlos is an interdisciplinary artist born in Manila, Philippines, based in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal. Her recent performance work as “Joy Rider” has led to multiple awards and international performances including Fierte Montreal 2019, Teaser Festival New Orleans, Bagel Burlesque Expo. She was the winner of the prestigious Best Debut category at the top burlesque competition in the world: the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas,Nevada.
She holds a BFA (University of Calgary), a BEd (University of Toronto OISE) and an MA (Concordia University: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada SGS Master’s, Storytellers National Finalist & more).
About the Work
Walang Hiya
Joy Rider’s Walang Hiya is a long-form burlesque performance that focuses on Filipina sexuality, integrating elements from Filipino culture. How can one remain the subject of their sexuality within a context that limits their agency and humanity? How can someone with particular identity markers that are frequently fetishized become an agent of their sexuality? This burlesque performance invites a shift from a socially acceptable expression of femininity within a patriarchal culture that expects the feminine to be demure, submissive, or chaste to one that is subversive and even pleasurable.
Choreography
Joy Rider
Dancers
Joy Rider, Komodo, Lia Jasmine
Dramaturgy
Gerard X Reyes
Outside Eye
Loulou la Duchesse de Riere, Gitanjali Kolanad
Costume Design
Joy Rider, Elise Truong (Sweet Carousel)
Lighting Design
Jareth Li
Creative Credits
Gerard X Reyes
Dramaturg
Montreal
Gerard X Reyes (they/he) is a choreographer, dancer, director, teacher, certified Somatic Sex Educator, Intimacy Coordinator, and pioneer of Montreal’s Kiki Ballroom community. As a dancer, they worked for 7 years with the Compagnie Marie Chouinard, as well as with choreographers such as Jérôme Bel, Benoît Lachambre, Luther Brown and Leiomy Maldonado. As a choreographer, their first dance solo, The Principle of Pleasure, explores themes of control and seduction through voguing. Their second work, Public / Private Parts or L’Origine du monde, is a video installation and performance that goes beyond the limiting binaries of public / private and art / pornography. In 2023, they will be releasing a podcast series as well as short films as part of the Public/Private Parts series.
For more info: publicprivateparts.com and Instagram @gerardxreyes
Photo by David Wong
Photo by David Wong
Photo by David Wong
Photo by David Wong
Both Photos of Marbella Carlos by Marisa Parisella, Photo of Gerard X Reyes by Do Phan Hoi