HATCHED, created and performed by South African artist Mamela Nyamza, is an autobiographical work that seeks to convey deeply personal and challenging issues of culture, tradition, and a woman’s evolving sexuality within the customary rites and rituals of marriage. Telling the story of a woman faced with a life of dualism: between countries, identities, relationships. Nyamza is battling with her identity as a mother, while still clinging on to her life as a performer. But Nyamza also faces another conflict, as a South African woman performing in Western/European contexts. Nyamza addresses this by juxtaposing movement vocabulary and accompaniment from both cultures, referencing classical Western music and dance, and also traditional African vocal scores and grounded movement. Nyamza has created a poignant story that speaks to feelings of conflict with one’s own identity and questioning where we belong in the world.

Co-presented by The 2016 Queer New York International Arts Festival and 651 ARTS Curated by Marýa Wethers