My bastard cheap lecture-performance, by Odile and Odette

The third chapter of Caterina Mora's 'bastard cheap lecture-performance series is based on translation from ballet to reggaeton.

© Lucas Trouillard
© Lucas Trouillard

This chapter inquires into stereotypes and archetypal figures in the Swan Lake ballet: the black swan, Odile, and the white swan, Odette. The translation will focus on the ballet step called 'pas de bourrée couru' (running step).

Latin-American people mispronounce this French term, we are used to saying: Pa-küru. I changed the letter 'k' and I added the dieresis. The result is another way of writing the same thing that creates a possible invented word in the language of one of the native Patagonian people (Mapuche). This language is 'mapundungun', in which 'Pa' indicates that the action is carried out near the place where people are speaking; and 'küru' means black or dark. So, the attentive translation of this invented word will be: “from the darkness and close to you, I speak”.

But who am I to create a new combination of a language that I don’t know? What happens with this possible use of the language which comes from a culture that has fought and resisted against colonial death machinery? And how would Odile and Odette deal with this translation?

With & by: Caterina Mora - Thanks to: a.pass, WSB, Kristien Van den Brande, Rui Calvo, Alexandre Ismail, Nicolas Galleazzi, Lucas Trouillard & Aphra Behn - With the support of: my families - Research consulting: Professor dr. Timmy De Laet, Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Studies, University of Antwerp - Residency support: workspacebrussels

Residencies

21.06.2021 - 10.07.2021

Kaaitheater

10.05.2021 - 22.02.2021

Kaaitheater

10.05.2021 - 22.05.2021

Kaaitheater

02.06.2020 - 12.06.2020

Kaaitheater