Kyra Johannesen, Marlo, Lian Tal
Sumseen
Eeah Kaiju
Curated by Virginia Villari
Friday October 15th from 7:00 to 10:00 PM
@R Bar
218 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
RSVP
Contaminate NYC is pleased to present BiPoleR, a project that intertwines two different art forms: performance and video art. A group of pole dancers – Kyra Johannesen, Marlo, Lian Tal – and a video artist – Sumseen – will meet on the poles of the R Bar, creating a dialogue between video projections and pole dancing. The show is structured in three acts, each one with a different theme: the city, the nature and the contamination between the two. The audience is dragged into a sequence of different moods and atmospheres: a glamorous, glittery metropolis; an instinctual, sensual animal world; a primordial, watery, postmodern future.
Videos will be projected on the performers, so that digital images and dancing bodies will be moving together as a bipolar fusion. In their encounter, these two discourses enhance each other’s qualities: dance gives dynamism to the projections by becoming an unusual moving screen; videos intensify the performance’s visual aspect by wrapping the dancers with other shapes and colors. BiPoleR is a platform where the collaboration of diverse media and artistic expressions unfolds new and unexpected narratives.
The music for BiPoleR has been selected and mixed by New York –based DJ/Producer Eeah Kaiju.
Kyle McBeth a.k.a Sumseen was raised in Vermont. He moved to New York six years ago to work as a photographer and video maker. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Kyle creates videos and pictures under the name of SumSeen. He doesn’t remember what Sum Seen means but that it was funny when he did visuals for raves, now he just likes the way it sounds. He creates images that he wants to see, ones he can’t find anywhere else.
Kyra Johannesen began dancing in Phoenix, AZ, at the age of four and later moved to Los Angeles to study at the Edge Performing Arts Studio, under Christina Woodard, Eddie Garcia, and Doug Caldwall. In 2005 Kyra discovered pole dancing. She quickly embraced this new form of dance, and shortly after was asked to develop the pole dancing program for Crunch gym. Since then Kyra has appeared on national television, and numerous media outlets, to show and discuss her style. In 2009 She was one of the 12 finalists for the US East Coast pole dance championships. In 2010 Kyra placed 2nd in the USPDF Amateur Division. She has taught in Europe at different pole events and workshops and in December 2009 she joined the forces of Body & Pole in New York City. Her own company has received acclaim for the shows Out Through Her, Women in Their Bedroom, The Dream, and Remote. In the summer of 2010, Kyra
choreographed a series of performances to accompany the architectural installation “Pole Dance” at PS1 MoMA. www.bodyandpole.com.
Marlo is a nationally-known media personality, teacher, and performer. She has 23 years of dance training and 9 years experience as a personal trainer with certifications in nutrition, yoga and pilates. Her pole fitness skills have landed her features in New York Times, the New York Post, an AM NY cover “From Risque to Ripped”, Pink Floyd/Roger Waters 2010 world tour, and a SoBe Adrenaline Rush commercial. She has toured as hip-hop dancer with Nike and BMG Latin artists, performing in the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. She has performed in the MTV Video Music awards, VH1 fashion rocks, music videos, and industrials with Diddy, Pharell, Fabolous, Nelly and more. At the National High School Dance festival she lead a course on conditioning for dancers entitled “Strength & Grace” and presented club dance styles at the South Beach International Fitness festival. She has modeled for Hanes, Fitness Magazine, Shape Magazine, Nike Golf, and Runner’s World Magazine’s “Women’s Complete Book of Running.”
Lian Tal founded Body and Pole Studio in 2007. In February 2009, she was selected to compete as one of the top 12 finalists for the 2009 US Pole Dance Championship held in New York City. As a finalist, she received the recognition and exposure to put her on the map as one of the top pole dancers in the nation. Lian is a Board Member of the Pole Fitness Association (PFA), the leading representative for the pole fitness community worldwide. Lian is also the East Coast Event Ambassador and is on the Terminology and Olympic Committees for the PFA.
Eeah Kaiju a.k.a. DJ Thunderkunt is a DJ/Producer originally from the Seattle club & rave scenes of the mid 90’s. She came to New York in 2000 to learn from the best techno and electro djs and producers. She has been throwing events in the New York City area since 2005. Eeah has collaborated with legends like Lenny Dee and has been opening act for industrial bands like Slick Idiot (former members of KMFDM). She was also a DJ regular at Diesel’s Flagship Shop. Eeah Kaiju is an outlaw & underground aficionado on the outskirts, pulling obscure hot new genres together to bang it out on the dance floor or to subtly accentuate a stylish artistic scene.
R Bar is a no-attitude, no-pretentious spot with a glam rock bar feel, dig the crystal chandeliers, blood red walls, and 3-D holographic images of Sin City-ish leather-clad models over the bar and classic rock icon photos to inspire your evening. Go for the real stuff with their impressive collection of whiskeys and bourbons (apparently the Basil Hayden’s 8 Years will make your night go down as hard as early Johnny Cash). The sexy back room is where it will be at, with a separate bar, blown up black-and-whites of Mick Jagger in a bathtub, and (in a move deserving of some accolade) under-lit tables with tall brass poles. We are excited about the possibilities of what might happen here.
