The UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance MFA Upstart Series presents the world premiere of Brendan Drake’s Ghost Porn Thursday, April 13th, and Friday, April 14th at 8 pm. This three-part work is an extension of Drake’s ongoing choreographic exploration of power dynamics and world-building within queer communities.
A Disco Ball descends from the sky as two sequined-clad ushers welcome you to an abstract domain of ghoulish apparitions, gay smut, and divine brutishness. Inspired by horror cinema and cruising culture, Ghost Porn incorporates dance, magical realism, and sound manipulation to complicate perceptions of moral ambiguity within queer social spaces. An inverted realm is conjured, where form and meaning give way to a visceral palate of noise, rhythm, and ecstatic dancing that wavers between gogo dancing and an exorcism. Ghost Porn features an original script sound score and choreography by Drake i collaboration with performers Robbie Button, Bailey Davies-McAffrey, Wesleigh Gates, Kylee Miller, and Reba Thomas.
*Please note, this show contains mature subject matter, partial nudity, and sexual language as well as loud and abrupt noises. Indoor masking is encouraged.
All performances of Ghost Porn will take place at the UCLA Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater, 120 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Tickets are free and can be reserved through http://brendandrake.eventbrite.com Parking is available in UCLA Lot 4. Enter campus from Sunset Blvd, at Westwood Plaza. A post-show reception will be held after the performance on April 14th.
Brendan Drake (Choreographer) is an interdisciplinary artist and teacher born and raised in the deeply haunted woods of Western Massachusetts. His performances incorporate theatricality, satire, and disparate movement forms to interrogate issues surrounding gender, vanity, and queer power dynamics. His current creative research focuses on analyzing cross-generational understandings of respectability politics as it relates to queer erotica and sociality.
Brendan has been awarded grants and residencies through the Brooklyn Arts Fund, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, CUNY Dance Initiative, Brooklyn Studios for Dance, Mana Contemporary, Silo Barn, The Tank, and Joe's Pub. He was a 2017-2018 Fresh Tracks Artist at New York Live Arts (formerly Dance Theater Workshop) and most recently, an artist in residence at Chez Bushwick (Brooklyn, NY)
His work has been presented at Danspace Project, The Brick, HERE, La MaMa, New York Live Arts, PAGEANT, Gowanus Loft, Industry City Distillery, Joe’s Pub, Museum for the Moving Image, The Wild Project, Triskelion Arts, Chez Bushwick, Movement Research, JrHigh LA and The Dance Complex (Boston, MA). In addition to his work for the stage, Brendan choreographed the fall 2014 “Equality = Love'' campaign for Adidas Originals/Pharrell Williams. He has also served as movement coordinator on editorial shoots for Vogue, Porter, V, and Elle Magazines (photographers: Liz Collins, Ryan McGinley, Collier Schorr). In Spring 2020, Brendan co-curated with Dance and Media Artist Kate Ladenheim the digital performance series “19 Acts of COVID-19 Bravery” which was an online exhibition of works, created in isolation, responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic. He has had the pleasure of guest teaching at Columbia University, the University of Massachusetts, Muhlenberg College, Gibney, Freeskewl, and DeSales University. He was also named a 2016 “Artist to Watch'' in Dance Europe Magazine. Brendan received his BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is an MFA candidate in Choreographic Inquiry at the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance.
For more information, visit www.brendandrakechoreography.com or www.wacd.ucla.edu
The UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (Los Angeles basin, So. Channel Islands) and is grateful to have the opportunity to work for the taraaxatom (indigenous peoples) in this place. As a land grant institution, we pay our respect to Honuukvetam (Ancestors), 'Ahiihirom (Elders), and 'eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.