Hissy Fit (2021)

A ‘hissy fit’ is a fit of uncontrolled anger, such as a child may have. Together with dancers Mark ‘Brui5er’ Sheats and Michael Wanga, dancer and choreographer Christian Guerematchi takes this emotional outburst as the starting point for a performance about ‘black anger’, the result of centuries of structural oppression. Christian Guerematchi: "I remember when footage of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles was broadcast on TV in 1992. As a little boy, I was stunned by what I saw. At the same time, I also felt connected by this emotional outburst. Even now, this echo between bodies still reverberates." Driven by the raw energy of rap music, three black bodies experience their own ‘hissy fit’. They hide behind masks and get into a stupor that gives them a frightening power. They are trapped in their bodies and are looking for a way out. Emotions are released, and imposed prejudices seem to be confirmed.

HISSY FIT connects the dance styles breaking and krump with drill rap and virtual reality. With live video projections and a rousing soundscape, the performers bring their inner world close to the audience. The performance was preceded by research in which Guerematchi investigated the theory of Afro-pessimism* and talked to drill rappers. A video report of those interviews is an integral part of the show. HISSY FIT connects to the search for new relationships of black people in Western society. Guerematchi wants to further explore the concept of ‘Black Identity’ through the language of the body. In his interdisciplinary approach, he delves into different dance styles, which he analyses, deconstructs and gives meaning to. * Frank B. Wilderson, professor of Afro-American studies in California, is one of the pioneers of ‘Afro-pessimism’, a radical anti-racism that gives an intensely gloomy diagnosis of American society that is supposedly built entirely on the exploitative opposition of Black and White. (...) Being Black, he writes, is synonymous with being a slave. From: NRC, 11-09-2020

Concept & Direction Christian Guerematchi Choreography & Performance Christian Guerematchi, Mark ‘Brui5er’ Sheats & Michael Wanga Visuals & Scenography STUDIO 10.04 Musical composition Michael Wanga Costumes Jonathan Ho Photography Daniël Nicoletti

Dramaturgy Nicole Geertruida Illustration Richard Kofi Production ICK Dans Amsterdam Made possible with support of ICK Dans Amsterdam, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Gemeente Amsterdam, Fonds21, Amsterdam Fonds Voor De Kunst, VSB Fonds