“When I was little my grandma told me that if I brushed my hair 100 times a day I would be a beautiful woman. My grandma also felt that a strong part of cuban culture is knowing how to peel an orange correctly. I remember when I was little that she would spend hours with me in front of the mirror practicing these repetitive actions. When I was five my world was small and all I knew was my house, my grandparents house, and my school; these places were the stages for my social performance and the preparation I had to peel fruit in front of strangers.”
“Peeling Fruit In Front Of Strangers” is a new joint production by Francisco Baños Diaz (choreographer and dancer), Luke Oliver Francis (dancer), Katharina Merten aka Dorothy Parker (musician) and Rachel de la Torre aka Lamb Kebab (vocalist) and Lotte Meret Effinger (visual artist) for Balance Club / Culture Festival 2020.
The performance will take place on 20 May 2020 and combines elements of contemporary dance, rap and avant-garde club music to create an exclusive emulsion. The treatment lasts 30 minutes. A video documentation of the performance will be uploaded on Sunday, May 24th.
Luke Oliver Francis is a non-binary artist from Great Britain. Besides their current engagement as a solo dancer at the Leipzig Ballet, they also engage in various projects and collaborations, including creating the party series “Series Be.” at the Institut für Zukunft, which aims to give the queer Leipzig club scene a home.
Francisco Baños Diaz is a Spanish choreographer, dancer and DJ. In addition to his engagement as a dancer at the Hanover State Ballet, his work in the form of diverse projects and collaborations has already been shown at various locations and events, including the Gallery for Contemporary Art Leipzig, the Lofft Theater Leipzig, and the Leipzig Opera House. He is also a member of soft spot, a DJ-collective by women* & LGBTIQA+ in Hanover. As Frawn he is resident DJ at “Series Be.”
Rachel de la Torre (Lamb Kebab) is a Cuban-American musician and rapper known for her powerful lyrics. Lamb Kebab has worked with a number of renowned artists* and institutions, including Amplify Berlin, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, CCTV Radio and Creamcake. Her music has been released by Danse Noir, IfZ, NAAFI, Aishida Park and Switch Handz.
Katharina Merten aka Dorothy Parker is a DJ, producer and video artist. Her diverse collaborations with artists* from the fields of theatre, literature, visual arts and contemporary dance have been shown at various venues and festivals, including at the Gallery for Contemporary Art Leipzig, at Skulptur Projekte Münster, at Trauma Berlin, at HVW8 Berlin, at Mousonturm Frankfurt, at Schauspiel Leipzig, at Reference Festival Berlin, at Nachtdigital, at Chaos Communication Congress, at KV – Verein für zeitgenössische Kunst Leipzig, at Center for Literature – Burg Hülshoff, at Dokfest Kassel, at International Women’s Film Festival Dortmund/ Cologne and at Institut für Zukunft Leipzig.
Lotte Meret Effinger’s projects and collaborations range from video, publishing, installation, performance to curating and writing. Her work was presented in different institutions such as Kunsthalle Basel, Kunsthalle Baden-Baden and at the Arsenale in Venice. Her work has been acquired by Lafayette Anticipation and Kunstkredit Basel-Stadt.