Something told me that The Function would be a scene when I pulled up to a warehouse space in East Garfield Park. Fortunately, the people I am around most gave me the current terminology for hip and happening. When I walked in, trance electronica music was blasting and I felt instantly at ease. Erin Kilmurray is an award-winning choreographer for her femme-centric fringe style.
The Function is what I call close-up magic. I felt drawn in to the interactive show by the sensual movement and industrial props. A pegboard, ladder, color gels, and glow-in-the-dark rope were among the props that became symbols of freedom and body positivity. The dancers create the props in this cool deconstructed performance. A disco ball glides down to center stage spinning among the five dancers. The dancers and the performance are a vision of athleticism, African-inspired, and a universal diaspora of cultures.
Each dancer was featured in a solo breakout but there was no feeling of gaming to please the audience with repeated jete around the stage for applause. This is a snapping-your-fingers showing approval crowd. Kilmurray calls The Function a performance and movement collaboration and that is spot-on. Hannah Michal Santisteven, Keyierra Collins, Kierak (KIKI) King, and Maggie Vannucci swerved and leaped to the bass-heavy music. Body confidence was on display in the crowd and the dance space. The attire was meant to show off their bodies and make movement accessible. There was a loose and flowing start as they pared down to crop tops and bottoms that invited the audience to think outside the lines.
The people in the front rows were asked to wave colored gels that affected the lighting and moved the air around. It was a butterfly effect moment suggesting the interconnectedness of the world. Dancing can be as moving as a piece of music or a painting. The emotional connection between the dancers was palpable at the performance's climax led off by Chaka Khan singing "Ain't Nobody."
This is a walk on the fringe of queer and punk art that is accessible to those of us who remember the Beats as fringe, snapping fingers, and exclaiming what is cool. It is a great ride and I highly recommend you check it out. This scene gives me hope that creativity is not lost to artifice or classism.
The Function runs 70 minutes with no intermission on Fridays through June 14 at 8pm, at Land and Sea. Dept., 3124 W. Carroll Ave., a warehouse district in East Garfield Park. Tickets are $10-$25. The space is cool and very warehouse chic. There are a lot of tattoos, piercings, and cool fashion, so get un-uptight if you must and get there at 7:30 to nab a good seat. Beverages are sold at the event for cash or Venmo only. The music is loud but they will gladly provide earplugs. For more information, please visit https://www.erinkilmurray.com/projects/the-function
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