19 Apr Bio’Ngo: A Scenic Installation by Lukas Avendaño

FUNDarte presents Bio’Ngo by Lukas Avendaño and dancers: Charlene Francois, Enrique Villacreces, Lize Lotte Pitlo and José Ramón Corral (Mexico) from August 23rd to 24th, 2024 at the Fantasy Theatre Factory at Sandrell Rivers Theater.

Bio´Ngo, is a scenic installation that is tautologically repetitive, as if it wanted to remind us of something that we already know, but ignore, perhaps what truly gives life to the “original sin”, or “the fault of origin” as called by its author, being obvious that we dismiss any intrinsic value of its immanence, by the constant disdain of its very existence, believing that it will always be there, to our insatiable “gluttony”. But while the time comes to “break our teeth on the concrete”, Bio’Ngo honors its incommensurability in each of its manifestations, from the “full of color” to the monochromatic, from silence, to the strident sounds caused by the “insignificant” insects, leaves and birds.

About the artists

Lukas Avendaño is an emerging Mexican artist, whose recent work constitutes a queer performative intervention of Mexican nationalist representations, particularly of the Tehuana Zapotec woman. Avendaño embodies the complex identity of the muxes, or homosexual men of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec where he was born. The cross-dressing of their performances interweaves ritual dances with autobiographical passages and actions involving audience members, in order to challenge the broad vision of a gay-friendly indigenous culture that points towards the existence of lives that negotiate pain and loneliness with self-affirming pride.

José Ramón Corral, born in Hermosillo, Sonora, is an interdisciplinary artist based in Mexico. He collaborates globally with various companies and projects, alongside teaching at institutions such as Movement Research and Academia de la Danza Mexicana. Trabulsi’s extensive training includes Núcleo Antares, Australian Dance Theater, and Ultima Vez, influencing his diverse artistic approach. He contributes to cultural management through partnerships with organizations like Moving Borders and participation in festivals like ATLAS México. Corral’s stage works, presented worldwide in countries like Belgium, Greece, and Costa Rica, challenge conventional dance norms and innovate performance styles, supported by collaborations with artists such as Damien Jalet and José Esteban Pavlovich, emphasizing his commitment to pushing artistic boundaries.

Charlene Francois moves between multiple dance forms, including Haitian Folklore, Contact Improvisation, and most recently, the Martha Graham Technique. She dances in the Haitian Folklore lineage of Frèdèric Leon, who was taught by Viviane Gauthier (Viviane Gauthier School of Dance, Haiti). In May 2023, Charlene danced in Miami New Drama’s production of “Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work.” Most recently, she was awarded a Miami Individual Artist (MIA) Grant to support her study of the Haitian Folklore and Katherine Dunham techniques.Charlene is spiritually grounded by the Ashtanga (eight limbs) yoga method, holding a deep love for the asana/postural practice. She completed the Ashtanga Practitioner Intensive / RYT 200 at Miami Life Center. As a student and facilitator, she is committed to cultivating kindness within herself and using movement as a tool for Self-confidence and Self-knowledge.

Enrique Villacreses, based in Miami, is a dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker recognized with awards like the Dance Miami Choreographers’ and Miami Individual Artist Program. His work has been supported by notable institutions, including the Inter-American Choreographic Institute and Pérez Art Museum Miami, and showcased at events like the ScreenDance Miami Festival and Billboard Latin Music Awards. He has performed with esteemed groups such as Miami City Ballet and collaborated with prominent artists like Ozuna and Merce Cunningham. As an educator, he teaches various dance styles and filmmaking in South Florida. Villacreses is a founding member of SYNCOPATE COLLECTIVE, fostering a creative community in Miami.

Lize-Lotte Pitlo is a contemporary dance artist based in Miami. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance from her native country The Netherlands, and graduated from the Merce Cunningham Professional Training Program (New York City). She has had the pleasure of working with inspiring artists such as Jonah Bokaer, Roxana Barba, Pioneer Winter, Jenny Larsson, Sung Young Kim, Lazaro Godoy among others. Her own choreographic and improvisational work has been commissioned by Bistoury Physical Theatre and Film, PAXy and Broward College Dance

What: Bio’Ngo by Lukas Avendaño and local dancers
When: Friday, August 23rd and Saturday, August 24th, 2024
Where: Fantasy Theatre Factory at the Sandrell Rivers Theatre (6103 NW 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33127)
Tickets: www.sandrellriverstheater.com
+ Info: | www.FUNDarte.us

Out In The Tropics is a yearly international performing arts series featuring daring and innovative artists that address issues of Gender Politics, Sexuality, and LGBTQIA+ identity.

This event is part of the International Cultural partnership (ICP) program of the Miami Dade Department of Cultural Affairs between FUNDarte & Miami based artists and Contenidos Artisticos, starring Lukas Avendaño from Mexico. 

Financial and administrative support for this event is provided in part by National Endowment For the Arts (NEA); Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; Fantasy Theatre Factory at the Sandrell Rivers Theater  Cultural Art Partnership (CAP) Program; the University Of Miami departments of Modern Languages and Literatures’ Joseph Carter Memorial Funds, Indigenous Studies, American Studies and Theater Arts; MiamiArtZine; Culture Shock, Artburst; and Contenidos Artisticos.