THE WORD MADE FLESH
Artistic Director
Cheryl Flaharty
Dancer
Summer Partlon
Lighting Design
Donald Ranney Jr.
Production Manager
Brian Gustaveson
Costume Designer
Cheryl Flaharty
Costume Construction Manager
Dee Laris
INSPIRATION
The Old Testament was the first alphabetic written work to influence future ages. The words on its pages anchor three powerful religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each is an exemplar of patriarchy. Each monotheistic religion features an imageless Father deity whose authority shines through His revealed Word.
Conceiving of a deity who has no concrete image prepares the way for the kind of abstract thinking that inevitably leads to law codes, dualistic philosophy, and objective science, the signature triad of Western culture.
Goddess worship, feminine values, and women's power depend on the ubiquity of the image. God worship, masculine values, and men's domination of women are bound to the written word. Word and Image, like masculine and feminine, are complimentary opposites.
Whenever a culture elevates the written word at the expense of the image, patriarchy dominates. When the importance of the image supersedes the written word, feminine values and egalitarianism flourish. One Image is worth a thousand words.
ABOUT THE SHOW
"Because IONA dancers train physically and spiritually, they execute moves intended to move you inside and out. To be in their eye beams is to give in to this extraordinary sensibility." Honolulu Star Bulletin
La Madonna is a live gallery installation performance celebrating the power of the Divine Feminine. Originally premiered in 2004, La Madonna was the first show in IONA’s interactive Salon Series. The high spirited production presents 13 living altars depicting ancient and contemporary goddesses brought to life through IONA’s unique dance style.
IONA’s E Season features excerpts from the 2012 re-staging of the work in which Artistic Director Cheryl Flaharty turned the former Waikiki Banana Republic space into a multicultural cathedral where SHE is boss. Each installation was adorned with candles, flowers, and words of feminine inspiration to match the theme. The dances were performed simultaneously to one soundtrack, and the audience moved throughout the gallery to watch them transform over the 75 minute show.
Please sit back, and zone in to the mesmerizing dancers all performing structured improvisation–each performance was unique and in synch with the audience, the stars, and the universe!
The E Season is supported by the Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawai`i or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
PLEASE LET US KNOW HOW YOU LIKED THE SHOW!
contact@iona360.com
