Under My Umbrella
Rotterdam Ballroom Arena presents
Under My Umbrella – a performance evening as part of MOMO 2023 Festival
15 April 2023
19:00-23:00
Baanhof, Rotterdam
Just like an umbrella, Ballroom forms a space where we can escape the rain. It welcomes and celebrates what is often overlooked and not understood whether this is our cultural background, identity or sexuality. Under My Umbrella is a performance evening curated by Rotterdam Ballroom Arena for the MOMO 2023 Festival. We invite you, in and out of ballroom, to come and celebrate with us. This evening, taking place on the 15th of April 19:00-23:00 at Baanhof, includes five performances by artists from the Dutch ballroom community.
Come and experience:
19:30 – 20:00
NOS BIDA
by Shaquille (he/they)
Can we ever come to understand the life of an oppressed, highly melanated human being. What do you think about the past and present? Is it possible that there is a lack of acknowledgment about what has occurred in these troubling and dark times? The amount of pain of suffering those that were seen as less than, have experienced and what their predecessors reap from this. I choose to speak for the thousands of Warriors that fought for their freedom, but their truths and even their names were forgotten or not of importance to remember. I try to construct my piece in such a manner that I can guide my audience through a journey, to speak for my fellow warrior ancestors.
THE BODY’S LANGUAGE
by Sary (any pronouns)
“The Body’s Language” is a powerful theatrical performance that blends dance and spoken word to tell a personal story of self-discovery and liberation. The show follows Sary who begins his journey with popping, moves on to hiphop freestyle and house dance. Eventually, the dancer discovers the transformative power of ballroom culture and how it offers a safe space for exploring gender identity and expression.
Through movement and the body’s language, Sary shares how dance became a tool for finding freedom within their body and expressing their authentic self. The show also delves into the different expressions of masculinity and femininity found within each dance culture.
By showcasing the power of dance to break barriers and expand self-expression, “The Body’s Language” invites the audience to reflect on their own journey towards finding liberation, freedom within movement and relationship with gender, identity and embracing fluidity.
FINDING BLOOD
by Anh Khoa Trần (they/them), Michael “Elle” Lubbers (he/him), Jordy “Elle” Jansen (they/them)
“Finding Blood” (work title) is a piece about finding your chosen queer family. The performance will take the audience on a search for identity, authenticity and how we Queer Black and People of Color have the power to create our own legacy. It is a story about three individuals with different personalities, learned behavior, ancestry, cultures, personas, egos, sensitivity and sexuality, who come together in unity through the language of vogue – our birthright.
Within all what has brought us together – Spoken Word, Singing and Solo Dance Performances will zoom into each individual’s expression and journey to find self love – to love. Your chosen blood – your father, mother, parent, brother, sister, sibling are the reflection of who you truly are. Will you come with us?
20:00 – 20:30
BREAK
20:30 – 20:50
BLEND
by Naimah Janse “Naimah Elle” (she/her) and Elejandro Martinez “Elly Vineyard” (he/him)
Blend explores the relationships between the masculine and feminine and the similarities of the two. There is beauty in the involvement of both worlds when we fully accept and indulge in this reality. Social construct has subjected us to choose whether we express the two separately, never mended together. Masculinity is subjective, so is the feminine, we choose the why, we choose the when, we choose the time, we choose the blend. There is a journey, one we have to pursue to discover what it means from the personal perspective. Throughout struggle, obstacles, triumphs and failures we are expected to commit as what society has trained us to do, present as expected.
” Boys are Masculine, Girls are Feminine “… what does it even mean?
TIME FOR T
by Marie-Léa Morales “Karmella Kobra” (she/her), Jordy Jansen “Jordy Elle” (they/them), Danijel Petrovic “Yugo Angels” (he/him), Bella O Pattinasarany “Bella Dolcé” (she/her)
Time For T will take you on a beautiful time laps through ballroom. It is a story of the Femme Queens (Trans Woman) being undeserved and suppressed in society. We want to show their dreams and the path they walk to get there. It’s an uptempo show with valleys of emotions. By the voices of different FQ’s of our scene we will let you in on their thoughts and feelings. Society can see them as demonic, unholy, monsters, disgusting. We want to show the other side. Their actual side, where they are beautiful, deserving, caring, human and actually so much more strong than they get credit for. Time for T creates awareness about the life time of a trans women, where the average age is around 35, because of violence, murder and suicide. To end light, it will be a powerful, energetic, joyful and charismatic performance of art. Time for T lets you in and allows you to look through the keyhole into the precious lives of Fem Queens.
21:00 – 23:00
DJ Seven Angels