Dance Review: Preaching to the Choir, MilDRED Gerestant's "When She Was King"
Haitian-American actress, MilDRED Gerestant's one "woMan" show is a reflection of her own life. She takes on the multitude of personalities within herself, both male and female. She preaches self-love, and freedom of expression, ideas that I can't argue with. The problem is, nobody in the audience can argue either. I guarantee that everyone in the liberal, open-minded, artsy, Dixon Place audience agrees with every message she delivers, preaching to the choir, so to speak.
MilDRED is introduced to us as a man, so from here on, I'll refer to her as him. Confused yet? This gender-bending back and forth is the most fascinating part of the performance. When he's a woman there's still a hint of man, and when he's a man, there's still a hint of woman. He challenges gender stereotypes by demonstrating that it's possible to be both male and female simultaneously.
Throughout the show he changes costume as he changes personalities. Each costume waits in its own chair in a semicircle of chairs, a crescent moon of spirits waiting to inhabit the body of the performer. The transformation takes place in plain view, and we have the patience to watch these onstage costume changes because we're watching to see what he turns into next.
The characters range from male to female, old to young, and slutty to holy. Mac Dred wears a comically huge afro that takes on a life of its own as he busts out some super fly disco dance moves. Mother Dred is an old lady who can still get funky, and Dredisha dresses in a slutty outfit and eats chicken wings with hot sauce.
The final Dred character is a peaceful, holy character dressed in white. It is the purest character, stripped of all of the extra flair of the previous personalities. He flows through yoga movements and repeats the mantra, "I am in love with me again, I am in love with me again." And that is the end.
Although her intentions are noble and she puts on an entertaining show, it serves as little more than her own self-affirmation. In a brief post-performance discussion, she said that she started to accept herself when she started performing. I give her credit for discovering freedom of expression and wanting to share it, but the role of art needs to extend beyond self-therapy. Maybe I'm being harsh. I was reminded to love myself, and that can't be all that bad.
iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Julie Fotheringham
Performance: MilDRED Gerestant, When She Was King
Venue: Dixon Place, New York City
Date: September 26, 2009
www.iDANZ.com
Click Here To Become a Member of iDANZ.com Today!
The More Members We Have, The More We Can Make a Difference. It’s Free!
iDANZ – The Social Network Where Dancers Live!
Want to stay connected to iDANZ? Join our network using the following services: 
Categories: Dance Reviews - iDANZ Critix Corner
Tags: Dixon Place iDANZ Mildred Gerestant Julie Fotheringham
really useful info, keep up the good work!
Reply to this
Divan beds had been originally cushioned boxformed seats the divan itself adorning bedrooms and dwelling rooms By inserting an additional mattress over the divans breitling breitling watches it becomes a really snug bed rolex Due to this fundamental twin attribute of serving as sofas by day and as beds within the evening time replica watches divan beds are extremely sought after by many households not only within the UK however in other countries as well Depending on how the beds had been designed and constructed they could serve other functions as well oris Listed below are a
Reply to this
and sometimes very complex construction fake watches Moreover Bulgari has gradually merged its native Italian culture with that of Swiss watchmaking buy rolex replica panerai watches Bulgari Time in Neuchatel Bulgari Time is based in a nice building in Neuchatel Here the Bulgari team works out new product strategies and marketing plans watches replica and establishes 'briefs cartier fake ' products based on design propositions received directly from the brand's design teams in Rome Bulgari Time is
Reply to this
And hoping to catch his eye My husband sure has the knack of doing the most amazingly romantic of things and the Giuseppe Zanotti Studded Wrap Buckle Replica Boots were just one of the millions of such things replica handbags louis vuitton wallets These little things keep our marriage alive and make me fall in love with him all over again just when I feel that this is the day when I will certainly go ahead and strangle him chanel wallets I certainly loved him all the more for his thoughtful little gestures louis vuitton bags He did this for me with the greatest of thoughts and affection louis vuitton replica
Reply to this
me that I was only supposed to buy one at the station my cousin Theodore was going to come and pick me up louis vuitton louis vuitton Gosh What an old fake gucci wallets fashioned name Must be someone really pompous and country style I thought As the train chugged into the station my eyes searched the platform for my cousin chanel wallets I couldn find him I saw a tall handsome looking bloke but knew that this couldn be Theodore Well for assumptions That was Theodore my cousin He helped me take the luggage off the train and introduced himself I smiled and thought the week wasn going louis vuitton
Reply to this
them fake lv I was certainly lucky to have a wife like this who would complete my life for me Now before you think that we don have our share of conflicts and arguments GUCCI Wallets 3036 that not true We do have arguments and things about which we don see eye to eye but we have this rule of sorting it out before we go to bed So we never ever take an argument to bed with us replica chanel handbags GUCCI Wallets 3143 replica That certainly works as the only thing that we take to bed is our love and the deep intimacy that we share with one another We believe in dealing with the concern head on rather than
Reply to this
nice work.That was a spectacular article, need more great work like this out there.
Reply to this
t him' " Middleton said "There was a judge gucci diamond watch his name was Weinstein this man seemed bigger than life replica hublot He said `Fine rolex brm watches the State of Louisiana will take him' "Middleton's father John Sr remembered the early years much differently rolex In an eight-page affidavit filed in Brooklyn Family Court on behalf of Bishop the elder Middleton described his son as a mentally troubled compulsive liar who was incarcerated in juvenile facilities and has fabricated a grandiose autobiographyMiddleton his fathe
Reply to this
This is my very first time i visit right here. I found so numerous interesting stuff in your weblog particularly its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment right here! keep up the good function.
Reply to this