Cover Eisa Jocson. (Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation)
Eisa Jocson. (Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation)
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Know more about Eisa Jocson and her special project Corponomy for Art Fair Philippines 2023
We seldom see artists who show proficiency in different art forms. If we do, either one is a hobby and the other a profession. But Eisa Jocson, a contemporary choreographer and dancer trained in visual arts and ballet, uses every skill in her performances. These, and her grit and progressiveness, set her apart from others.
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As one of the leading practitioners in dance performance, the Hugo Boss Prize awardee toured extensively in different countries to showcase her works. A few recognized ones are Death of the Pole Dancer (2011), Macho Dancer (2013) and Host (2015). At Art Fair Philippines 2023, her special project Corponomy sheds light on the nitty-gritty of why she does her craft—showing us a lecture rooted in the skill she was born to do: perform.
Above Eisa Jocson warming up for her performance lecture entitled Corponomy.
Eisa Jocson warming up for her performance lecture entitled Corponomy.
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Imagine this: inside a cold room with everyone as still as the night, Jocson started warming up. No one was talking. We can only hear the sound of her breathing and the buzz from the air conditioner. A presentation then played explaining "corponomy," a portmanteau of the words corpus and economy, a combination of the concepts of human anatomy and the country's state in producing and consuming goods.
Her lecture is in four parts—all of which explores her roles as a pole dancer, macho dancer, host, and princess. And with these, she incorporates several social issues.
Above Stainless Borders (2010). (Photo: Wordpress / Eisa Jocson)
Stainless Borders (2010). (Photo: Wordpress / Eisa Jocson)
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In 2011, her pole-dancing for Stainless Borders: The Deconstruction of Architectures of Control mixed with graffiti-tagging on public infrastructures. It opens up the vertical potential of urban space and pushes the visibility of the gendered body into public view.
Another gender-centric issue she tackled is machoism. Her work Macho Dancer in 2013 is a solo piece where a woman becomes a macho dancer. It challenges our perception of sexuality and questions gender as a tool for social mobility.
Above Eisa Jocson performing a macho dance exercise for Corponomy.
Above Eisa Jocson performing "How You Like My Cut" by Peaches.
Eisa Jocson performing a macho dance exercise for Corponomy.
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In Host (2015), she received and entertained guests. In the hostess clubs of Tokyo, Japan, Filipino female and transgender overseas workers perform a version of femininity that caters to Japanese salarymen. The hostesses use mimetic strategies and hybrid identities in order to seduce and survive.
Above Eisa Jocson for Princess. (Photo: Wordpress / Eisa Jocson)
Eisa Jocson for Princess. (Photo: Wordpress / Eisa Jocson)
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For Princess (2017), the first part of her Happyland series, Jocson exposes Filipino labour through a Disneyland performance. In Hongkong Disneyland, superiors hire Filipinos in large numbers as professional backup dancers to western main characters. This show is one of the outstanding contemporary productions for the 2018 edition of Tanzplattform, a theatre festival in Germany.
Above Eisa Jocson interacting with the audience in the middle of her performance.
Eisa Jocson interacting with the audience in the middle of her performance.
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Jocson interacted with the audience (whilst maintaining her princess character) during the climax of the lecture. She ended with parting words that left the audience in a mix of silent awe and uneasiness—highlighting the social pressure of performing happily and bringing joy through entertainment.
What do you do when things go wrong? I’m awfully sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you, but you don’t know what I’ve been through. And all because I was afraid. I’m so ashamed of the fuss I’ve made.
For more information, please visit the Art Fair Philippines website and follow Art Fair Philippines on Instagram (@artfairph) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/artfairph).
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
