Blood on the Dance Floor By Jacob Boehme

Co-presented with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs and Talking Stick Festival Running Time: 55 minutes. Post-show chat on Thursday, February 7. Warning: Adult concepts (sexual & drug references), coarse language, loud music. A descendant of the Narangga and Kaurna nations of South Australia, choreographer/performer Jacob Boehme was diagnosed with HIV in 1998. In search of answers, he reached out to his ancestors. Through a powerful blend of theatre, image, text and choreography, Boehme pays homage to their ceremonies whilst dissecting the politics of gay, Blak and poz identities. Created with ILBIJERRI, one of Australia’s leading theatre companies creating innovative works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, Blood on the Dance Floor weaves together generational history with personal memoir. From a “gay elder” grieving young men lost to disease and despair, to the current culture of hookups and casual sex, deeper moments sketched between Jacob and his father underscore the legacy of racism, homophobia, and shame that permeates both personal and cultural histories. Grounded in Aboriginal dance and storytelling, Blood on the Dance Floor incorporates activism, autobiography, and performance into an incendiary work of raw and radical emotion.                 

Production sponsor: Anndraya Luui.