"Come prepared for raucous humor, bad girls, noteworthy indecency, empowered, naked wit and naked ladies." No, this is not a report on late-night downtown debauchery following Bele Chere. It's in the press release for No She Didn't! Good Girls Gone Bad and the Dances That Happen. The show, which runs at The Magnetic Field, uses dance (including modern, hip-hop, world and burlesque) to explore topics such as body image, being attracted to more than one man at a time and being a female boss.
Local dance studio owner and instructor Lisa Zahiya says that the idea came about during conversations with N.C. School of the Arts grad and exercise video creator Kathleen Hahn. The two got talking about "funny and terrible music that would be fun to dance to," says Zahiya, and also "what women are and aren't supposed to do." Combining those talks led to the inspiration for dance that dealt with the latter subject "through a comedic angle, rather than a feminist angle," says Zahiya. "Not that it's not feminist."
Zahiya and Hahn put out a call to artists though Facebook back in April (“looking for funny, creative ideas. .. Dance can include, but is not limited to, striptease or semi-nudity”). Inspirations included a piece about a woman who always feels like she needs to be thin, and then rebels against that. A narrator will explain the vignettes during the production; at press time Zahiya conformed that works were coming together — the end result promises to be a collaborative effort that will showcase not only local dance talent, but humor and storytelling as well.
The thematic, full-length dance show is for adults only. Performances run Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28 at 10 p.m. Tickets are $17 in advance (available online) or $20 at the door. http://themagneticfield.com.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.