Convergent Diversity: GIVE ME ONE is no shade

31 Mar 2023 - Photos by Marlowe Porter

"I don't want to say too much without giving it away; however, I hope that the audience experiences a ride of ebbs and flows of emotions and rushes of energy through their bodies," says Danah Nobles of GIVE ME ONE. "I hope that the audience gains more curiosity and interest about the political issues that the queer community face and how it affects us all as we co-habit on this stolen land, and urges people do more research on this history of ballroom to deepen their relationship with it if they choose."

GIVE ME ONE is half of an evening of dance performance Convergent Diversity presented by Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT).  The TDT dancers will collaborate with artists pulled from diverse dance disciplines. Choreographer Arti Nundy has created helix using guest dancers from the Bharatanatyam while Nobles draws her guest dancers from the Kiki Ballroom scene where she is known a New Legend Mother Maldita Siriano. Nobles kindly agreed to answer some questions about this exciting event.

Drew Rowsome: Do you identify more as Danah Rosales choreographer or New Legend Mother Maldita Siriano? 

Danah Nobles: I identify as Danah. My father gave me my name. But to answer your question, the names, titles or roles depend on the context of the space and environment. For example, in mainstream ballroom, I’m Maldita 007, in the kiki ballroom realm, I carry the function and duties of the title Legend and Mother. In my personal life, I identify as Danah or mommy (to my children), and in the professional, I’m comfy in the dancer role. Now that I’m stepping more into the role of choreographer, she’s new-ish. Identity is always beautiful and complex, and growth and change are inevitable. 

How does GIVE ME ONE utilize or express the art form of ballroom?

Danah Nobles: Come see the show and find out. I would also suggest people to attend a ball or watch resources for more research to have a wider entry into the world of the show. I'm deriving the work from my personal experience being in the ballroom community in tandem with the ballroom artists that are both on stage and on the production team. There are many art forms within ballroom, and for this specific work I chose the ballroom artists that live and breathe their expression, and are highly known for their highly skilled and honed craft. How do the defiantly queer elements of ballroom differ from those of modern dance? It’s no shade, it wasn’t created, birthed from or popularized by white people. But ballroom wouldn't exist without racism, so there's that too. The elements of community, social gathering . . . Ballroom was created from the lessons that were passed down to me, out of a response to the non-acceptance, and lack of space and vacancy for queer existence from the cis-hetero society and spaces. To this day, I think space and opportunity still needs to be reclaimed in the modern and contemporary dance world. 

What ballroom category do you prefer to compete in? 

Danah Nobles: I walk women's performance. I was introduced to voguing back in 2006/2007 by Mother Symba Mulan, and Snoopy invited me to my first ball in 2015 where I first walked hairography, virgin runway bizarre. Shoutout to Snoopy. Speaking of first balls, it was at Snoopy’s birthday ball at The 519 back in 2015, that I first walked performance and kept on walking that cat as the category I wanted to grow in. Back then, and still to this day, I look up to Twysted, Snoopy and Vixen—to me they are the holy Legendary BQ Trinity. In terms of the female figures, the Legendary Kitana who paved the way for Canadian women’s performance and Legendary Miyoko, the Canadian femme queen supreme. These five are my foundations of Canadian vogue femme. I want to learn and play more in other categories like old way, and new way, face, runway and fashion categories, maybe sex siren. There’s so much. 

What is the most interesting result you have found in combining ballroom artists with modern dancers?

Danah Nobles: I don’t really want to label the TDT ensemble as specifically modern dancers because of the modern dance training we’ve received, also because they’re much more nuanced as dancers/artists. However, the most interesting result I’ve found in combining the 'two groups' of these unique artists would literally be that. The combining of Snoopy, Jaws, Mystique, Roberto, Erin and Devon. Two Geminis, an Aquarius, a Pisces, a Capricorn, and a Sagittarius (and I’m a Leo). Every single one of these artists are talented as fuck, have their own point of view, own personalities, their own aesthetic, intelligent and self-aware minds. Their own style, their own identities, their own lived experiences, their own tastes, their own way of expression that only they can do. They also are so kind and generous both as dancers and people. The differences and similarities between them are beautifully plentiful, and it was such a pleasure to spend time and energy all together over the course of this process. 

How do their approaches to the work, to being choreographed, differ? 

Danah Nobles: All of them know how to connect to their bodies, to themselves, and with dance in general—the ability to freestyle and improvise is instant decision making. So, a lot of the choreographic approach is based in improv and freestyle with different percentages of structure and direction. 

How collaborative has the process been, both between the artists and with yourself? 

Danah Nobles: Very collaborative. Some days I shared and offered what was on my mind about what I am curious about and interested in, then I would either propose a plan or we all would figure out a plan to try and attempt. Consistently checking in and asking them about what their needs were in that scenario—and a lot of learning and figuring out my needs as well—in order to figure out ways to approach or make attempts to the work all together. I found myself considering and processing my past experiences of being a student at the school, working as a dancer at TDT, my experience after TDT, and its intertwined and overlapping timelines with ballroom and dance other than contemporary. There has been a multitude of 'contemporary' ways to approach a collaborative creation process that I've had the privilege to be a part of. However, coming back to the TDT space with a different lens and different role required me to really lean into the team for their perspective. 

From a ballroom perspective, for GIVE ME ONE I’m working with a Legend (Butch Queen VF), two statements (women’s runway and women’s performance) and three virgins (which means they've never walked a ball). For the first half of the rehearsal process in the fall, the focus was foundations and learning. I asked certain people from the kiki ballroom community to be a part of the process and collaborate by coming in, teaching and sharing with all of us. Princess Myst Milano Siriano came in and shared their insights on their ballroom journey, working as a commentator and/or the DJ at the balls, and walking both commentator vs commentator and face categories. Legendary Pleasure 007 came in as well but with the perspective of being a Legend for Runway. Diséiye (formerly known as Godmother Siriano) came in with her expertise on walking Female Figure Best Dressed, walking fashion categories, and got into the grittiness of battling and getting our 10s. N9ne (formerly known as Mother Louboutin) brought out the sex siren in each of us and guided us in a very careful and supported way through this intimate category. We all played within the foundations of posing, face, best dressed, sex siren, runway, and performance (vogue femme and a lil bit of old way). We journeyed together into uncomfortable territories for most, including myself. It's also been very collaborative with TDT itself, with the adaptation of the typical working schedule to meet the community where they're currently at. Some of the rehearsal structure of the working hours shifted into the evenings to include Siriano House practice at the Wellesley Community Centre and the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance Drop-In Tuesdays at Fort York, which were so great to have as a part of this process for all the dancers. Ballroom has been seen as an underground scene with bursts of attention. 

How would you like to see the art form evolve? Does mainstream exposure improve or hinder the art form's evolution? 

Danah Nobles: Honestly, I’d like to see an increase in more genuine involvement and support for the ballroom community in tangible ways from the audiences and corporations at large who consume, benefit, and who, low key but high key appropriate and engage with ballroom’s culture and its many art forms. I think with that, then we’ll see the art forms evolve in many different ways. Put y’all money where your mouth is and pay the gorlz! That last question is definitely a dialogue that requires the different POV’s from many people from the ballroom community and not just mine. In my opinion though, I can see how it can possibly do both, but then again, what does 'improvement' look like and to who? Whose gaze defines or determines the meaning of 'improvement' in this context? It also depends on what kind of exposure is receiving 'mainstream' attention. I think the intentions, quality and the amount of authenticity, community approval and support, and due diligence in the process matters, especially with such large platforms. 

How did Myst Milano come to create the score? How crucial is it to the performance? How collaborative? How beat-heavy? 

Danah Nobles: Myst Milano just gets it. Myst knows. As a DJ in the Toronto Underground Queer scene and also a producer and a ballroom walker. Created the score together in the beginning phases. Very crucial, we need to feel it. 

Ballroom fashions have to be fabulous and fierce. Has Diséiye lived up to expectations? 

Danah Nobles: We are talking about Diséiye! In ballroom, in the kiki scene, formerly known as Godmother Diseiye Siriano but has now focused in on her mainstream ballroom career as a member of the House of Balenciaga. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion…but the fashion does not lie, she is the one to beat for Female Figure Best Dressed. We’re talking about a designer, a costume maker. Diséiye creates from scratch and from her own hands. She also styles the fuck down and creates amazing costumes for productions ranging from commercial to theatre to opera. No one should sleep on Myst Milano and Diseiye.