Dancer-chorographer Jasmyn Fyffe.
Appearing at this year's SummerWorks Performance Festival is the dancer-choreographer Jasmyn Fyffe, who presents her first solo show. Titled what do you see?, the intimate piece seeks to explore the many ideas concerning the black female body.
The Toronto-based performer began formulating ideas on the subject during a residency in Berlin. Upon arrival to the city, she posed nude for a drawing class. Fyffe performed nude for the first time last year. Four black artists walked, jogged and ran on treadmills until the point of exhaustion. The work referenced the misuse and overuse of the black body throughout history.
What herstories, stereotypes or assumptions are made about this body," Fyffe said recently. "More and more questions arose around this subject matter and it developed into a research period for me, both physical and theoretical. And the next thing you know, I am creating this solo show."
Jasmyn Fyffe's what do you see?, part of SummerWorks, runs Aug. 7 to 13 (previews, Aug. 3 and 4). $15 to $35. Theatre Centre BMO Incubator, 1115 Queen St. W., summerworks.ca
Brad Wheeler