ebonibleu

Miss Greg David’s current work finds itself at the intersection of improvisational dance, character performance, and spatial installation & design. It began to manifest itself in a blue bubble blow-up suit, blue skinned hands, face, and feet, and a black blunt bowl-cut bob wig while surrounded by walls and webs of blue denim fabric and blue environments. In their conception, Ebonibleu was designed to be a physical manifestation of inner-conflict, fear, euphoria, and delusion based joy; in clearest terms, their and our “anxiety monster.”

Through being in the costume it allows a process of metamorphosis, transitioning away from humanity to lean into otherness. It provides a meditation and it allows the participant to step outside of themselves and into a new form. Typically using deep electronic music, ambient sound, or house music allows the mover to find somewhat of a trance through improvisation, which has the capacity to bring the movement into a space of prayer.

A discussion about Biblically-accurate angels arose during a session with movement artists and they all found an understanding that fear and anxiety exist within them to protect them from things that appear dangerous or uncomfortable. With the logic that Ebonibleu carries all of their fears, needs, and desires, maybe they are actually a sort of Biblically-accurate angel; abstract and sometimes shocking in appearance, but truly existing to bring and invite peace.

“Being a Black, visibly queer, trans-spectrum person, simply my presence on a stage can be politicized without the intention. As I engage artists within my community of all types of people, especially queer people of color, the costume purposefully creates a safe space for them to explore themselves. The costume of Ebonibleu has a deliberate removal and abstraction of gender presentation and body image. There is an intentional metamorphosis that allows me and the artists access to a euphoria of anonymity.”