Gaia Pellegrini: veline repertoire

In the organizer's words:

veline repertoire is a choreographic study of Italian TV showgirls, fantasized as a lesbian romance. Veline are showgirl duos who perform in so-called Stacchetti, which are 30-second dance interruptions - energetic and cheerful with a permanent smile. Gaia Pellegrini researched the Stacchetti repertoire from the 1990s to the present day.

Stacchetto by Stacchetto, we immerse ourselves in show dance in order to recapture its sensuality, wrest it from the male gaze and reshape it in a queer narrative. Is it possible to reject sexualization while performing sensuality? And can sexuality exist beyond being dehumanized? Along an arc that stretches from the TV repertoire of the 1990s to the present day, the performers abandon their spectacular roles for the camera and begin to enjoy each other as lovers and without spectacle. What began as imitation turns into seduction, in which frivolous gestures become erotic tension, smiles become campy, exaggerated spells, until the choreography combines them into a romance.

veline repertoire deconstructs the glossy surface of a constructed "femininity", which is particularly characterized by the time of the media mogul and former president Berlusconi, and reveals the desire - and the defiance - underneath.

Cologne-based choreographer and performer Gaia Pellegrini studied physical theatre at the Folkwang University in Essen and specialized in choreography at the Conservatorio Superior de Danza in Barcelona. Her work is based on a quasi-documentary interest in archives and pop culture and deals with the investigation of Italian television and queer-feminist perspectives. veline repertoire was created in collaboration with dancers Rebecca de Toro, Shauna Fischer and show dance teacher Ley Akpinar as a work-in-progress during the summer residency at tanzhaus nrw and was subsequently also presented in an early version at Now & Next.

Duration: 50 min.