Through the lens of contemporary dance, Lindfors depicts an Afrofuturistic land of tomorrow in which black and white are no longer opposites.
With a colour palette spanning the full spectrum from beige to brown, Sonya Lindfors and her performers look toward an afrofuturistic tomorrow. Around 25 years ago, cultural critic Mark Dery coined the term afrofuturism to describe the cultural movement that was redefining blackness and proposing a future in which freedom, equality and black identity go hand in hand. It is in this mystical, speculative, utopian time that the dance performance Cosmic Latte is set. Contemporary dance, West-African cosmology, Sun Ra and Bach crowd together on the stage. Lindfors and her perfomers show the audience a future in which black and white are in equilibrium rather than opposition. In which the one entails the other. Or, rather, the two become one. This notion is also where the piece gets its name; in 2002 astronomers came to the conclusion that the average colour of all the light in the universe is a slightly beigeish white: Cosmic Latte.
Sonya Lindfors (1985) is a choreographer and director from Helsinki who makes contemporary dance and theatre. She also established the arts platform UrbanApa to support new artistic practices. Lindfors combines theoretical concepts with the strong physicality of her dancers to challenge existing power structures in the performing arts and stimulate a rethink. Cosmic Latte is her third performance focusing on blackness.
Part of NORMAL SCHNORMAL, a multidisciplinary programme on normality and other deviations.
Duration: 75'
direction and concept: Sonya Lindfors, working group: Deogracias Masomi, Ima Iduozee, Pauliina Sjöberg, Geoffrey Erista, Sonya Lindfors, Erno Aaltonen, Jussi Matikainen, Sanna Levo, Esete Sutinen, on stage: Deogracias Masomi, Ima Iduozee, Pauliina Sjöberg, Geoffrey Erista, Sonya Lindfors, choreographer’s assistants: Pauliina Sjöberg ja Esete Sutinen, spatial and lighting assistant: Sofia Pallillo, texts: working group, music: Sam Cooke, sun Ra, production: Zodiak – Centre for New Dance, Sonya Lindfors, UrbanApa, technicians: Sofia Palillo, Hannu Nummela, Kaba Assefa, Anssi Ruotanen, Ina Niemelä, Esa Mattila, Irene Lehtonen, supported by: Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Samuel Huber Foundation, Finnland-Institut in Deutschland, in collaboration with: RTV, Timberland, Valkoinen Sali, Dance School DCA, residencies: BoraBora, Århus; Schwankhalle, Bremen