VENOM

VENOM is an experimental dance exploring the dehumanization of the Black female body—particularly the womb—through history and today. Inspired by the stories of Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey, women subjected to medical experiments in the 19th century, the work reflects on how bodies can be instruments of knowledge and technology. Rather than offering answers or rewriting history, VENOM creates a space for artistic reflection, understanding, and immersion.

The performance examines the body as both vulnerable and powerful, and considers how revisiting past experiences can deepen our understanding of human complexity in the present. VENOM is a creative exploration, not a repair.

Artistic Concept
The choreography blends Afro-contemporary and street dance/hip-hop elements, with references to Indlamu and Pantsula. Using rhythm, isolation, and floorwork, the duet explores contrasts—softness and resistance, vulnerability and strength—while creating a dialogue between past and present.

. The Symbolism of “VENOM”

The title VENOM carries multiple meanings.
 Venom is known as poison — something feared, deadly, and dangerous. Yet, in nature, venom is also medicine. The same substance that can kill can also heal. Snake venom, when refined, is used in creating powerful medicines.

The piece uses VENOM as a metaphor for the paradox of the Black woman’s body — feared, fetishized, and misunderstood, yet deeply powerful and creative.
 Like the snake, the Black woman’s body has been seen as something to control or avoid — but within that body lies life itself.

VENOM asks:
What if the venom is not poison, but wisdom? What if what has been treated as dangerous is actually the source of transformation?

VENOM is created and performed by 3 dancers.