More Than My Own Skin

Description

More Than My Own Skin is inspired by the life and work of Mexican painter and feminist icon Frida Kahlo, whose work explored themes of identity, gender and class, postcolonialism and race. Regarded as an important figure in the feminst and LGBTQ+ movement, Kahlo is internationally celebrated for her depictions of the female experience through her artistic body of work.

More Than My Own Skin is a multi-disciplinary work that combines dance, theatre, and video, and a commission for Cuban choreographer Arsenio Andrade. Drawing on themes of female empowerment, the project draws on themes of female empowerment, struggle and sexuality.

Choreography & Direction – Arsenio Andrade
Producer & Performer – Roshanak Jaberi
Performers – Andrade Arsenio, Irma Vellafuerte, Melissa Noventa
Sound Design – Nicholas Murray
Text – Excerpts from Frida Khalo’s poetry

Videographer – Aria Evans
Photos – Levent Erutku

Premiere
Fleck Dance Theatre
2016

About Arsenio
Born and trained in Cuba at La ENA, Havana, Cuba, Arsenio gained a BFA and professional credentials in Modern Dance Performance and Teaching. He joined Compania Danza Teatro del Caribe as Principal Dancer and Tutor, and then the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, touring extensively internationally as a dancer and choreographer. Currently, Arsenio teaches Cuban Modern Contemporary and traditional dance forms on the faculty at Ryerson University’s degree Dance Program, as well with other companies and schools in Toronto. He is artist in residence in CoDanco Suriname, participated in Vanguardia Festival in 2016, choreographed for and performed in Dance Ontario 2017, was a 2018 Dora Mayor dance adjudicator and has participated as a presenter in On The Move 2018. In 2019, he re-mounted his work Congo Laye for Ballet Creole’s season.

Project Details

Choreography & Direction – Arsenio Andrade
Producer & Performer – Roshanak Jaberi
Performers – Andrade Arsenio, Irma Vellafuerte, Melissa Noventa
Sound Design – Nicholas Murray
Text – Excerpts from Frida Khalo’s poetry

Videographer – Aria Evans
Photos – Levent Erutku

Premiere
Fleck Dance Theatre
2016

About Arsenio
Born and trained in Cuba at La ENA, Havana, Cuba, Arsenio gained a BFA and professional credentials in Modern Dance Performance and Teaching. He joined Compania Danza Teatro del Caribe as Principal Dancer and Tutor, and then the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, touring extensively internationally as a dancer and choreographer. Currently, Arsenio teaches Cuban Modern Contemporary and traditional dance forms on the faculty at Ryerson University’s degree Dance Program, as well with other companies and schools in Toronto. He is artist in residence in CoDanco Suriname, participated in Vanguardia Festival in 2016, choreographed for and performed in Dance Ontario 2017, was a 2018 Dora Mayor dance adjudicator and has participated as a presenter in On The Move 2018. In 2019, he re-mounted his work Congo Laye for Ballet Creole’s season.