Yinka Esi Graves Headlines at La Bienal de Flamenco

Yinka Esi Graves breaks barriers as the first Black woman to present her own work at La Bienal de Flamenco. The Disappearing Act, aims to raise conversations around the daily dance between disappearing to exist and the refusal of erasure many people, particularly women of African descent, are forced to engage in worldwide.

SYNOPSIS

The Disappearing Act is Yinka Esi Graves’ first solo production. In this work she draws on her reality as a flamenco dancer of Afro-Caribbean descent and the historical and representational questions this has raised throughout her career. Removal, absence and invisibility become materials with which to create.

The Disappearing Act puts one being on display, La Lala. In a three-part performance, she proposes an experiment in which camouflage and crypsis are the main modes for (dis)appearance and exploring the implications of constantly resisting negation. With dance, live music rooted in flamenco, text and live video, the work presents itself as an experimental flamenco work, in the form of a reimagined Ghanaian Concert Party.

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Olga Brown a.k.a. Miss La La (April 21, 1858 -March 21, 1945) was an expert aerialist who served as muse to Edgar Degas and was depicted in his 1879 painting Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando. She was also depicted in a poster for the Folies Bergère. She was the star of Troupe Kaira, a traveling circus act, and performed with the Cirque Fernando, based in Montmartre. La La is the subject of various articles including ones in The Guardian and the New York Times as well as the 2007 scholarly work Miss La La's Teeth: Reflections on Degas and Race.

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“European, African, contemporary, flamenco dance finds its origins through the grace and virtuosity of Yinka Esi Graves… Framed by meticulous dramaturgy, The Disappearing Act is a work that offers an intriguing and powerful interpretation of contemporary flamenco.”

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Collaborating in the work are renowned flamenco guitarist Raúl Cantizano, a pioneer of improvisation in this genre; drummer and poet Remi Graves, who approaches the work via hip hop and jazz influenced grooves; and flamenco singer Rosa de Algeciras, who creates new lyrics inspired by the concepts in the piece. The Disappearing Act has been developed through a series of residencies in the UK, Spain, and France. Most recently it was presented at the 37th annual Flamenco Festival de Albuquerque and absolutely brought the house down. Was this also the first time a Black artist headlined at the Festival in Alburquerque? Clearly, Yinka is not only opening doors, but tearing down walls and blazing trails in her path. 

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