Rockbund Art Museum

About the Talk

Philippines Macho Academy and Princess Studies, the works of Eisa Jocson's, mirror the entwined relations between dancing, physical labor and desire consumption. Corporeal crossing, involved in transgender and transnational performance economy, are sometimes an uncustomary way of criticism, and sometimes a phenomenon being criticized. Physical sensation and structural contradiction will be the two main topics of this talk, during which the following questions will be discussed: How does a body present or become a performance of desire? How does such desire change the trading and power relations between the audience and the performer? Whose desire is produced or satisfied by the standardized and duplicated "happiness?" Whose body is indispensable? Whose body is perfect for the demonstration of “happiness?"

About the Talk

Philippines Macho Academy and Princess Studies, the works of Eisa Jocson's, mirror the entwined relations between dancing, physical labor and desire consumption. Corporeal crossing, involved in transgender and transnational performance economy, are sometimes an uncustomary way of criticism, and sometimes a phenomenon being criticized. Physical sensation and structural contradiction will be the two main topics of this talk, during which the following questions will be discussed: How does a body present or become a performance of desire? How does such desire change the trading and power relations between the audience and the performer? Whose desire is produced or satisfied by the standardized and duplicated "happiness?" Whose body is indispensable? Whose body is perfect for the demonstration of “happiness?"

About the Speaker

Eisa Jocson is a contemporary choreographer and dancer from the Philippines. Trained as a visual artist, with a background in ballet. From pole to macho dancing to hostess work, Eisa investigates the labour and representations of the dancing body in the service industry, and exposes identity and gender formation, seduction politics, and Filipino social mobility. 

In her new creation, HAPPYLAND series (2017), Princess is a duet with Filipino performance artist Russ Ligtas and Your Highness is a collaboration with 5 dancers from Ballet Philippines. This series is a continuation of her investigation into Filipino labour, performance of happiness and production of fantasy within the happiness empire.

Eisa won the title of 2010 Pole Art Champion in Manila. Her 3 solo works; Death of the Pole Dancer (2011), Macho Dancer (2013) and Host (2015) has toured extensively in major performing arts festivals worldwide, including Impulstanz Vienna (2013), Tanz im August, Berlin (2013 & 2015), Zurich Theater Spektakel (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017), Theatre der Welt, Germany (2014), Asia Triennial of Performing Arts, Melbourne (2017).

Jess Chiayi Seetoo is a researcher and creator of performance arts. She obtained her PhD in performance study from University of California, Berkeley. She is a member of board of directors of the Performance Studies international(PSi) and a lecturer at Shanghai Theatre Academy. Her study and works cover a wide range of areas including Tanztheater, physical theatre, documentary theater, impromptu dance, relationships between dance and human body, and (new) media. She has extensive experience of exploring the connection between linguistic signs and art performances. Her creative works and performances, along with public education activities organized by her in collaboration with museums in Shanghai, give a glimpse of her repeated efforts to pursue interdisciplinary creation and to define the relationship between environment and humanity. Her research papers are published in P[art]icipatory Urbanisms, Performing Arts Review, TDR: The Drama Review, and The Routledge Companion to Butoh Performance.

About the Speaker

Eisa Jocson is a contemporary choreographer and dancer from the Philippines. Trained as a visual artist, with a background in ballet. From pole to macho dancing to hostess work, Eisa investigates the labour and representations of the dancing body in the service industry, and exposes identity and gender formation, seduction politics, and Filipino social mobility. 

In her new creation, HAPPYLAND series (2017), Princess is a duet with Filipino performance artist Russ Ligtas and Your Highness is a collaboration with 5 dancers from Ballet Philippines. This series is a continuation of her investigation into Filipino labour, performance of happiness and production of fantasy within the happiness empire.

Eisa won the title of 2010 Pole Art Champion in Manila. Her 3 solo works; Death of the Pole Dancer (2011), Macho Dancer (2013) and Host (2015) has toured extensively in major performing arts festivals worldwide, including Impulstanz Vienna (2013), Tanz im August, Berlin (2013 & 2015), Zurich Theater Spektakel (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017), Theatre der Welt, Germany (2014), Asia Triennial of Performing Arts, Melbourne (2017).

Jess Chiayi Seetoo is a researcher and creator of performance arts. She obtained her PhD in performance study from University of California, Berkeley. She is a member of board of directors of the Performance Studies international(PSi) and a lecturer at Shanghai Theatre Academy. Her study and works cover a wide range of areas including Tanztheater, physical theatre, documentary theater, impromptu dance, relationships between dance and human body, and (new) media. She has extensive experience of exploring the connection between linguistic signs and art performances. Her creative works and performances, along with public education activities organized by her in collaboration with museums in Shanghai, give a glimpse of her repeated efforts to pursue interdisciplinary creation and to define the relationship between environment and humanity. Her research papers are published in P[art]icipatory Urbanisms, Performing Arts Review, TDR: The Drama Review, and The Routledge Companion to Butoh Performance.