On Friday, February 9, 2024, the stage of the Teatro SanbàPolis in Trento will host The Disappearing Act, the first solo work by London dancer Yinka Esi Graves.
European, African, contemporary, flamenco finds its origins through the grace and virtuosity of Yinka Esi Graves in The Disappearing Act, his first solo show. The Disappearing Act features La Lala, a character inspired by the 19th century acrobat and circus artist, Olga Brown, depicted in Degas' painting Miss La La at Circus Fernando.
With La Lala, Yinka Esi Graves, a British flamenco dancer whose work investigates the links between flamenco and other forms of bodily expression, particularly from the perspective of the African and contemporary diaspora, explores the idea of crypsis, i.e. an animal's ability to avoid being observed or discovered by other animals.
Crypsis can be a predation strategy or an adaptation against predators. Methods include camouflage, nightlife, underground, and camouflage. The exploration of Yinka Esi Graves – Jamaican father and Ghanaian mother – translates the concept of crypsis to the condition of many African women, forced to articulate their resistance to denial with camouflage and camouflage techniques that insidiously penetrate their intimacy. Dance and live music lead back to the roots in flamenco: The Disappearing Act is an experimental work of flamenco, which looks like a Ghanaian party and concert.
