Monkey off My Back or the Cat’s Meow

In the productions of choreographer and dancer Trajal Harrell, the fashion show is merely the outer façade of a host of themes that unfold beneath the surface, as in his second production for the Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble. Between subtle choreography and theatrical poses, reflections on history and the present emerge: diverse bodies are inscribed in narratives that go beyond personal biographies. These vulnerable bodies, always in close relation to the carefully designed costumes, recount stories of power and inequality, but also of faith in change and in the possibility of a human community. Harrell thus combines a mix of cultures of movement and aesthetic forms to create his unique artistic language.