In good kilter

I've admired Janessa Clark and Courtney Jo Drasner's vibrant and smart performances with Gina Gibney Dance but had never seen Clark's own choreography prior to last night's presentation by Janessa Clark/KILTERBOX, part of the queer-forward HOT! Festival at Dixon Place.

Clark and Drasner--two stunningly beautiful women--performed part of a 2006 duet called (inner)views I–IV, in which they prowled DP's living room space dressed and preening like go-go girls, wriggling their tongues at us, toying with themselves and each other, and embodying the straight-male fantasy of what it means to be a lesbian. Why, they were close enough for a lap dance and, at one point, Clark bent down and gave one woman in a front seat a lingering smooch.

With bodies espressly for display, the two supercharged Barbie dolls engaged in rapidfire sensual interactions that were the rough equivalent of stuffing your mouth with as much candy as possible and downing it in one gulp. While they were at it, a video showed real-life dykes talking about their real lives. (One of them so real, I know her--an old friend I haven't seen in what must be years.) Their remarks about experiences of coming out or being targeted by homophobes, of self-determined identity and assured self-regard are intimate and reveal humanity and vulnerability. Clark's on to something, I think, since she diverts our attention from the hotties with this video and, often--at least for me--the video won.

Ask yourself: What would you rather watch? Yes, the dancers are hot. (And how often does most contemporary dance let itself get away with that without politely covering up the fact that watching any dancer express him/herself via the body is...um...inherently voyeuristic?) But the women in the video are appealing. They're probably more like yourself, even if you're not female. Maybe even if you're a straight male...an honest one. So that's where your eyes go. Funny, isn't it?