YEMAYO by Julio Hong

« À travers sa réflexion sur les genres et l’interrogation des mythes et tabous d’une culture donnée, Julio Hong bouscule notre conception du présent (…) il propose une vision du futur, plus ouvert, différent, ou les gens peut-être s’accepteraient tels qu’ils sont.» 

Juliette Pottier Plazia, DFDANSE

Fusion: Contemporary – Traditional – Ballet

An Orisha is a spiritual being or presence that is interpreted as one of the manifestations of GOD (Olofi). Yemaya is one of the most intelligent and mighty deities. She stands for the stormy and smooth sea. She is the mother of all, and rules over the ocean. She is the maternal force of life and creation. But can we find her attributes in a man?  Can we reduce sexual violence by instilling the characteristics of Yemaya across genders? By projecting 4 male personas onto the female deity we find Yemayo.

This subversive 45 minute-group dance performance arose as a contemporary choreography filtered through ballet and Cuban folkloric dance, music, religion and daily rituals. The specific intention behind Yemayo is to explore and challenge the various aspects of maleness that permeate Hispano Canadian culture through dance and music, religion, work, and the daily rituals.

Julio’s choreographic process of Yemayo is a study of his own history roots filtered through the lens of someone who has travelled worldwide. This journey of questioning and discovery is then manifested in a contemporary form that is informed by his Chinese, Spanish, Haitian and Cuban roots.  Julio questions pervasive notions of masculinity in Hispano-American culture and the contradictions of metrosexual man.  Each dancer was confronted with his own personal convictions towards females and asked to surrender his preconceived and projected notions of himself to find a renewed acceptance of his identity.  A mutual understanding and shaping of a new equilibrium materializes to show intercultural and intergenerational duality of the sexes.