Review: Draagkracht dance performance by Cheroney Pelupessy sheds light on quiet lives
Cheroney Pelupessy’s dance performance Draagkracht addresses the heavy burdens carried by women of color through the symbolic use of beams and traditional movement. The piece connects individual struggle with colonial history, ultimately creating a shared space of comfort and resilience between the performers and the audience.
In the dance performance Draagkracht, choreographer Cheroney Pelupessy explores the emotional and historical burdens carried by women of color. The piece features seven dancers who use heavy wooden beams to symbolize the weight of colonial history in Indonesia and the Moluccas, as well as the societal pressures faced by women. Through a combination of traditional dance movements, refined hand gestures, and vocal performances, the dancers illustrate themes of endurance, struggle, and collective resilience. One striking scene involves a performer being trapped in a cage made of beams, while another sequence features dancers navigating a space filled with hanging ropes that evoke images of large banyan trees.
The performance, staged at Theater Zuidplein, fosters a profound connection between the artists and the audience. During one segment, the singing of a traditional song led a member of the audience to join in, highlighting the show's capacity to provide shared comfort. While the stage occasionally felt cramped for the seven performers, the intensity of their physical expression and the integration of cultural heritage create a powerful, silent, yet deeply resonant narrative about the silent lives of women.
Based on reporting by parool. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
