{"id":185561,"date":"2023-10-24T11:34:27","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T21:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=185561"},"modified":"2023-10-24T12:27:13","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T22:27:13","slug":"queer-non-binary-production-manoa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/24\/queer-non-binary-production-manoa\/","title":{"rendered":"Queer artists dance, vogue, act, more in non-binary production"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><figure id=\"attachment_185568\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-185568\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet.jpeg\" alt=\"Dancers perform in scene on stage \" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-185568\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet.jpeg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-130x73.jpeg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-185568\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dancers perform in scene on stage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>October is <abbr>LGBTQ<\/abbr>&#43; Pride History Month and audiences are invited to <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/liveonstage\/kennedy-theatre\/\">Kennedy Theatre<\/a> at the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M&#257;noa for a transformative journey celebrating the diversity of non-binary identities. The <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> M&#257;noa <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/liveonstage\/dance\/\">Department of Theatre and Dance<\/a> presents <em><a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/liveonstage\/baby\/\">Are We There Yet, Baby?<\/a><\/em>, a provocative production that delves into an array of artistic expressions, such as monologues, contemporary dance, ritual, voguing, movement and acting improvisation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Related <em><abbr>UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> story: <a href=\u201chttps:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2022\/10\/11\/manoa-queer-dance-course\/\u201c><abbr>UH<\/abbr> M&#257;noa queer dance course among 1st in nation<\/a>, October 11, 2022<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-second-300x169.jpeg\" alt=\"Dancers perform in scene on stage \" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-185567\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-second-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-second-130x73.jpeg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-second.jpeg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The 27-member student cast is led by director and creator Pei-Ling Kao, an associate professor of dance. Kao\u2019s intent is to creatively showcase the challenges that stem from conventional binary assumptions within society and education.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Being a queer artist and educator of color, I question how the binary assumptions in society and linear education unconsciously impact our way of thinking and how we value ourselves and others,&rdquo; said Kao. &ldquo;I wanted to create an imaginary non-binary world on stage using aspects of contemporary dance, house ballroom, Indigenous dance and ritual, together with theatrical elements such as monologue, dialogue and chant.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Special guests<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_185566\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-185566\" style=\"width: 250px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-third.jpeg\" alt=\"Jay Pitt on stage\" width=\"250\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-185566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-third.jpeg 250w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-third-108x130.jpeg 108w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-185566\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Pitt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kao invited four queer\/trans artists who brought in different aspects from their expertise to the production, such as multi-disciplinary artist and m&#257;h&#363; (identity with male and female characteristics) Kalikopuanoheaokalani Aiu; Cuauht&eacute;moc Peranda, a Mexika-Chichimeca\/Cano (Indigenous people of Mexico) and cihuaiolo (women\u2019s heart) drag queen; <span aria-label=\"faafatama\">fa&#699;afatama<\/span> (non-binary) and activist Kiki Rivera and transgender, queer composer Ariel Wessendorf.<\/p>\n<p>Markus Wessendorf, <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Theatre and Dance chair, also played a vital role in the conceptual development of the project and provided extensive dramaturgical research.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I hope the audiences take away the sense of community we built in the performance, the power of body and the movement, the beauty of each individual, whatever their particular gender pronouns or sexual identities, and the visceral felt moments in the show that possibly lead to question binary assumptions,&rdquo; Kao explained.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiiathletics.evenue.net\/cgi-bin\/ncommerce3\/SEGetEventList?groupCode=KT1&#038;linkID=hawaii&#038;shopperContext=&#038;caller=&#038;appCode=\">Ticket prices range from $8\u2013$25<\/a> for the mainstage production set to continue on October 27 at 7:30 <abbr>p.m<\/abbr>. and October 29 at 2 <abbr>p.m<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n<h2>A thriving force<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_185610\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-185610\" style=\"width: 250px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-director.jpeg\" alt=\"Pei-Ling Kao.\" width=\"250\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-185610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-director.jpeg 250w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/manoa-are-we-there-yet-director-108x130.jpeg 108w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-185610\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pei-Ling Kao. Photo credit Eric Ordorica<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In 2019, Kao debuted her production of Integral Bodies on Kennedy Theatre\u2019s mainstage, which centered on inclusive dance making and critical thinking about what it means to inhabit a human body.<\/p>\n<p>The Taiwan native is classically trained in European-American trajectory and Asian dance forms. In 2022, Kao received the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching Award. She is also the recipient of the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Endowment for the Humanities Award (2023 and 2018) and Junior Faculty Research Award (2018).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><em> Are We There Yet, Baby?<\/em> is a provocative production that delves into an array of expressions, such as monologues, contemporary dance and voguing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[131,690,130,76,9],"class_list":["post-185561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-kennedy-theatre","tag-lgbtq","tag-theatre","tag-theatre-and-dance","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185561"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185621,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185561\/revisions\/185621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}