Femmes créoles, derrière la carte postale

Femmes créoles, derrière la carte postale
Creole Women: Beyond the Postcard Image
This series delves into the multifaceted experiences of Creole women, using the "mixed-blood" woman as a powerful symbol of universal female struggles and systemic discrimination. Challenging colonial-era clichés, these pieces confront the harsh realities of "doudouism" (the exoticization of Creole women) and entrenched machismo, while embodying the complex legacy of slavery in Réunion Island. Even liberated from physical bondage, these women often remain enslaved by marital constraints and internalised oppression, as exemplified by the character Fifine.
Magalé / Somin Galé
Maloya Métiss's work continues to explore the rugged terrain of Réunion's history and present. "Magalé" introduces a character inspired by Florence's great-grandmother, recounting the arduous lives of women in bygone eras. This piece uses a captivating dance prologue, performed in a storefront window, to dismantle romanticised postcard images of Creole women, revealing the stark realities beneath. "Somin Galé" expands upon "Magalé," depicting her journeys along the island's challenging trails, fetching water and washing laundry in the river. A further iteration of "Somin Galé" portrays the dancers as weathered stones, shaped by life's hardships, navigating the island's unforgiving paths.
Mariaz la pa badinaz
Created in 2016, "Mariaz la pa badinaz" is a versatile performance adaptable to diverse settings (collaboration with the artistic team is encouraged). Building upon the foundation of "Creole Women: Beyond the Postcard Image," choreographer Florence Latappy invites fellow artists to collaborate, drawing inspiration from her mother's writings about her grandmother. This powerful performance addresses the universal plight of Réunionese women, echoing the experiences of women worldwide. The performance features a compelling Creole-language text, delivered with intensity by the artist, transcending linguistic barriers: "kan twé lé né, ton moman lé mor..." ("When you were born, your mother died.").
Cast & Creative Team
Dancer, Writer, and Choreographer: Florence Latappy, with Sabrina Fairfort, Dolsy Baudry, Jonathan Camilot, Didier Filo.
Writers: Harmelle Baret and Didier Filo
Musicians and Singer: Magali Inès and David Abrousse
Photographers: Philippe Moulin and Christèle Belhote
Key changes and why:
"Behind the postcard" changed to "Beyond the postcard image" : This is a little more eloquent in english.
"Mixed blood woman" changed to "multi-faceted experiences of Creole women, using the 'mixed-blood' woman as a powerful symbol of universal female struggles" : This is to give more context to the reader.
"Doudouism" explanation : Added "(the exoticization of Creole women)" to give context.
"Mariaz la pa badinaz" explanation of creole sentence : Added the english translation of the creole sentence.
Overall flow: The paragraphs have been restructured to provide a more logical and engaging narrative for an English-speaking audience.
Word choice: More descriptive and evocative language has been used to capture the essence of the performances.

Cast & creative

Dancer, writer and choreographer: Florence Latappy, with, Sabrina Fairfort, Dolsy Baudry, Jonathan Camilot, Didier Filo. Writer: Harmelle Baret and Didier Filo Musicians and singer: Magali Inès and David Abrousse Photographer: Philippe Moulin and Christèle Belhote