Gay & Lesbian
Rene Ames examines drag as a performance art.
I recently caught a staging of excessinmoderation, a work in progress by the out-and-proud gay choreographer Ufuk Senel, at the Suzer Plaza Performance Theater and I was struck by his reliance on drag queens - all five of them of the overblown iconic John Waters’ Divine variety - to set the mood and mode of the dance performance art piece.
There they were, seamlessly weaving in and out of the stark unchanging scenario while lending their exaggerated fabulousness. Swaying in colorful garbs and humongous hairdos, with exaggeratedly long eyelashes seemingly touching their foreheads, they were dishing out incantations and occasional forced snickers to add to the intended grotesqueness of the proceedings set partly in a psychedelic playpen. Their presence certainly gave a Fellini-esque/Almodovar-esque if not a Jean Genet touch to this Absurdist existential piece that had the principal characters or dancers contorting to strobe lighting, poetry and pulsing electronic beats while trying to convey the psyche of loneliness, marginalization and meaninglessness.
excessinmoderation packed a good dose of bewilderment starting with its one-word title. However, it unfolded to convey a character’s linear path of self-awareness and catharsis despite life’s peripheral distractions. I caught up with the choreographer and one of the featured drag artists to delve into their affinity and passion for Drag as art.
By the way, contrary to popular belief, dressing up either as drag queen or king (yes, Virginia, there is such a thing) does not automatically qualify the person as gay or transgendered. There are many stage and film gender impersonators who profess to be heterosexuals - and they have never been proven otherwise. Dame Edna Everage and the late Milton Berle come to mind.
Ufuk Senel
Garish, outlandish-to-the-max and bigger-than-life drag queens chew the scenery in excessinmoderation. And as you proclaim, it’s still a work in progress. Does it mirror your personal life?
Yes. The point I try to bring out through these characters is about the absurdity of gay life in this country, where everyone knows our inescapable presence but refuses to acknowledge it. I see drag as the ultimate metaphor to being in the fringes of society.
Do you therefore do Drag to make a political statement?
Yes and no. That is, not just within a narrow concept. I’ve included Drag in my choreographic works to bring in my background, which is that I also professionally perform nightly in a drag revue at Al Jamal Restaurant/ Night Club while pursuing contemporary dance projects. Al Jamal used to be Cahide and I worked there for a year. As such I am in direct contact with a community of gay drag artists and know the realities of being one.
In the performance, your character holds up a pair of platform boots that he subsequently slips on, after which he lowers his pants to nakedness. Are you referencing the iconic drag footwear as battle gear, a vessel for liberation?
It’s an obvious evolution for one who’s inclined to it. But, you know, a pair of platform shoes could induce an immediate sense of empowerment when you tower over everybody else.
Tell me about your career as a dancer.
I’ve been dancing for 5 years now in video and stage projects, starting as an undergraduate in the Modern Dance Department at Yildiz Technical University. For additional training, I recently attended some Contemporary dance workshops in Madrid, Spain. I’ve also been accepted to Rotterdam Dance Academy but I’m having difficulty finding the logistics to make my way there. It’s hard to get a financial grant for the arts in this country.
Ufuk Senel intends to present excessinmoderation in various venues as an ongoing 2-year project. To find out where the next appearance of his motley cast of dancers and drag queens, call him (0555) 671 9852 or his Dance Coordinator Meral Aslan (0532) 413 5910.
Simon Chalk
How did you start out dancing and being in drag?
I was drawn to dance when I saw a club video of Teo (a well-known Turkish dance and drag artist). Then and there in front of the mirror in my room I started practicing. And I haven’t stopped learning to make my body move since then. Like a dam, it was as if my creative juices were unleashed, so to speak. Suddenly I just wanted to get on stage, oh not only to dance but to sing as well…to perform before an audience. But while I’ve always felt the so-called natural rhythm, I resisted acting on it because of my family’s ultra-conservative mind frame. I hate to think what they would have done if they caught me in some of those impromptu moments. Even now, I have not disclosed what I do to any family member.
And how long have you been doing this? I remember seeing your act and meeting you at Love dance point last year.
Five years. I was booked for 3.5 months at Love but I’ve been doing cabaret shows in other clubs here in Istanbul and in other major cities in Turkey (for much longer).
How old are you?
I’m 27.
When did you buy your first pair of platform shoes?
Two years ago. I used to simply borrow from other performers because in this country, it’s hard to find them in stores. We have to have them custom-made and they’re often very costly.
As a drag impersonator, which celebrities are in your repertoire?
I love doing Britney Spears and Mariah Carey.
Before starting this interview, you made a point to clear up with me that you don’t identify as gay and that you have a steady girlfriend of seven months. The most you will admit is being bisexual. Well, how does the girlfriend view your putting on make-up and a wig in trying to look like Britney or Mariah and, of course, wearing those platform shoes?
She knows I’m just putting on a show and it’s another person taking over.
Simon Chalk can be contacted for bookings: spiker_2006@hotmail.com or (0555) 552-8345
Two dancers from a dance
Writer: Rene Ames
Rene Ames examines drag as a performance art.
I recently caught a staging of excessinmoderation, a work in progress by the out-and-proud gay choreographer Ufuk Senel, at the Suzer Plaza Performance Theater and I was struck by his reliance on drag queens - all five of them of the overblown iconic John Waters’ Divine variety - to set the mood and mode of the dance performance art piece.
There they were, seamlessly weaving in and out of the stark unchanging scenario while lending their exaggerated fabulousness. Swaying in colorful garbs and humongous hairdos, with exaggeratedly long eyelashes seemingly touching their foreheads, they were dishing out incantations and occasional forced snickers to add to the intended grotesqueness of the proceedings set partly in a psychedelic playpen. Their presence certainly gave a Fellini-esque/Almodovar-esque if not a Jean Genet touch to this Absurdist existential piece that had the principal characters or dancers contorting to strobe lighting, poetry and pulsing electronic beats while trying to convey the psyche of loneliness, marginalization and meaninglessness.
excessinmoderation packed a good dose of bewilderment starting with its one-word title. However, it unfolded to convey a character’s linear path of self-awareness and catharsis despite life’s peripheral distractions. I caught up with the choreographer and one of the featured drag artists to delve into their affinity and passion for Drag as art.
By the way, contrary to popular belief, dressing up either as drag queen or king (yes, Virginia, there is such a thing) does not automatically qualify the person as gay or transgendered. There are many stage and film gender impersonators who profess to be heterosexuals - and they have never been proven otherwise. Dame Edna Everage and the late Milton Berle come to mind.
Ufuk Senel
Garish, outlandish-to-the-max and bigger-than-life drag queens chew the scenery in excessinmoderation. And as you proclaim, it’s still a work in progress. Does it mirror your personal life?
Yes. The point I try to bring out through these characters is about the absurdity of gay life in this country, where everyone knows our inescapable presence but refuses to acknowledge it. I see drag as the ultimate metaphor to being in the fringes of society.
Do you therefore do Drag to make a political statement?
Yes and no. That is, not just within a narrow concept. I’ve included Drag in my choreographic works to bring in my background, which is that I also professionally perform nightly in a drag revue at Al Jamal Restaurant/ Night Club while pursuing contemporary dance projects. Al Jamal used to be Cahide and I worked there for a year. As such I am in direct contact with a community of gay drag artists and know the realities of being one.
In the performance, your character holds up a pair of platform boots that he subsequently slips on, after which he lowers his pants to nakedness. Are you referencing the iconic drag footwear as battle gear, a vessel for liberation?
It’s an obvious evolution for one who’s inclined to it. But, you know, a pair of platform shoes could induce an immediate sense of empowerment when you tower over everybody else.
Tell me about your career as a dancer.
I’ve been dancing for 5 years now in video and stage projects, starting as an undergraduate in the Modern Dance Department at Yildiz Technical University. For additional training, I recently attended some Contemporary dance workshops in Madrid, Spain. I’ve also been accepted to Rotterdam Dance Academy but I’m having difficulty finding the logistics to make my way there. It’s hard to get a financial grant for the arts in this country.
Ufuk Senel intends to present excessinmoderation in various venues as an ongoing 2-year project. To find out where the next appearance of his motley cast of dancers and drag queens, call him (0555) 671 9852 or his Dance Coordinator Meral Aslan (0532) 413 5910.
Simon Chalk
How did you start out dancing and being in drag?
I was drawn to dance when I saw a club video of Teo (a well-known Turkish dance and drag artist). Then and there in front of the mirror in my room I started practicing. And I haven’t stopped learning to make my body move since then. Like a dam, it was as if my creative juices were unleashed, so to speak. Suddenly I just wanted to get on stage, oh not only to dance but to sing as well…to perform before an audience. But while I’ve always felt the so-called natural rhythm, I resisted acting on it because of my family’s ultra-conservative mind frame. I hate to think what they would have done if they caught me in some of those impromptu moments. Even now, I have not disclosed what I do to any family member.
And how long have you been doing this? I remember seeing your act and meeting you at Love dance point last year.
Five years. I was booked for 3.5 months at Love but I’ve been doing cabaret shows in other clubs here in Istanbul and in other major cities in Turkey (for much longer).
How old are you?
I’m 27.
When did you buy your first pair of platform shoes?
Two years ago. I used to simply borrow from other performers because in this country, it’s hard to find them in stores. We have to have them custom-made and they’re often very costly.
As a drag impersonator, which celebrities are in your repertoire?
I love doing Britney Spears and Mariah Carey.
Before starting this interview, you made a point to clear up with me that you don’t identify as gay and that you have a steady girlfriend of seven months. The most you will admit is being bisexual. Well, how does the girlfriend view your putting on make-up and a wig in trying to look like Britney or Mariah and, of course, wearing those platform shoes?
She knows I’m just putting on a show and it’s another person taking over.
Simon Chalk can be contacted for bookings: spiker_2006@hotmail.com or (0555) 552-8345