We arrived in New York on the 1st of July 2025. The border control was fine after all. Our phones were tidied just in case, but whether due to luck or white privilege, no questions were asked when we said “travelling for pleasure”. Who draws the line between work and pleasure anyways? 

The first full day in town was the first full rehearsal. We met Malcom-x Betts —our new collaborator—just then, already at 10am EDT. Having already woken up at 4 am and having played 5 hours with Penelope made me feel hopeful and relieved. I had been scared of failing to be present with both her and the project. 

We had a plan and I wanted to keep an attitude of confidence and doubt when meeting Malcoolm-x. Let me explain. Confident so that we could stand on a clear ground, take responsibility, assume our position and our invitation to work together. Doubtful so that we would remain open to Malcolm, to the context and to all the things we don’t yet know about our project.

A cocktail of a mood, a sort of listening to the signs and cues, following possibilities in this quick and special encounter. I never mentioned those things like that to Adriano, but now writing I realise my internal plot. My belly said—let intuition guide me in what emerges interpersonally and how I must respond, let the encounter be mostly based on the excitement and curiosity for making art together, allow for the discrepancies that it (for sure) brings, and commit to the relationship and not to a goal. 

Malcolm-x has been a jewel of a collaborator, even if our timing and discourse sometimes felt worlds apart he remained curious. In every rehearsal he brought a surprise, a present. Balls to warm up the feet, colours and brushes to add to the costume palette, tracing paper, a harp. I was both confused and appreciative of how, without dialogue, discussion or having-to come-to-verbal-agreement, he would show up with something. It quickly became clear that our conversation would be more physical than spoken, that we had to dance together to figure out how to dance together. Like magicians anticipating the reverberance of a gesture before the audience perceives whole spatial shift.

On the third rehearsal Malmcolm-x invited us into his practice of painting wearable art. In his studio apartment in the Bronx he dyes and paints layers and layers on second hand clothes, creating wearable paintings. These clothes or artworks appear as costumes in performances, where he relates to them as a material dancescores, but are also for everyday use, providing “protection”.  It felt tender and coherent to follow him into his domestic and artistic sphere.

As a painter, I was reminded of how difficult painting is. For me, it was never about achieving a specific image but letting go of control, staying in touch with the materials and listening to the possibilities to emerge. Malcolm-x had a way of arriving to short bursts of brushes after long build ups,to me the practice became about releasing anxiety…getting the stuff and studio ready, taking time, pausing and losing track of time, smoking some weed, listening to music, and then, suddenly holding a brush and pressing it on the surface, marking a trace before knoing what is going to come out. Yielding to different pressures and holding on to simple, bold strokes, fearless, abrupt, child-like, unhesitatingly marking. My interpretation here. I was extremely charmed to again encounter a painter that paints how I like to paint. And the result was similar to my favourite kind of paintings. I was totally unfit though. I felt like I have lost touch with this practice of freedom. But we started the costumes for the piece. And will continue with our other collaborators as the performance tours.

In the loft of The Kitchen we worked less hours than scheduled, but we skipped lunch and dinner times. We were jet-lagged and had snacks provided by TK. Popcorn, Auntie Cheddars, Tiny Pretzels, Lots of Drip Coffee. As meeting in movement felt more intuitive than conversation we focused on the transmission of the “materials” as we call them. The hyphae floor, the portraits, the ornaments, the telekinesis, the butt-heads, the stand-up, the footwork, the wrestling and the dancephrase. 9 in total.

Because we had just assembled all the “materials” as a “performance” for the first time with Emma Daniel and therefore arrived with a possible compositional structure we based decisions on two priorities:

One, to transmit all what we did with Emma, (also so that the process of transmitting from one collaborator to the next would become a clear trace).

And two, to insist on the attempt suggested by our dear—also dramaturg—Lauren Bakst, for inviting (each next collaborator) to intervene, disturb, refuse, re-make…

Our conceptual intention was to let a new constellation find its rhythm. Practically we gave us the “simple” task of trying to stretch the “performance” from fifty minutes to two hours. To give air in between materials, to go for moments of improvisation, to see what it means to cohabit with what was already happening in the room.

My perception is that Malcomx, in the moment of presenting, really assumed the invitation to interfere and bring his own work into it. Things got wilder, sharper, weirder, braver. And I feel like I have been reminded in capital letters;: DANCE! You love it, keep doing. Whatever that means to you. 

And this, I take  very close to my heart. I did not allow myself to dive into movement in the project yet. But, big BUT. I want to remember, that is possible. Malcolm-x did it, he moved, he did even pirouettes!