FLAMER MUSES: ABENA + YAKIKAT DANCE @ FAG
photography by Matías Alvial + Madison Palowski
Chlomosexual presents hosted FAG, a pride event at H0l0 featuring some cunty DJs + go gos passing out skinny cigs. but there were two dancers that stole the show—multiple times, with outfit changes. brooklyn-based dancers, Alyssa Yeboah-Kodie (@mx.kodi3_) aka ABENA + YAKIKAT (@yaki.kat) took to various stages throughout the day for performance art vignettes that evoked a raw yet graceful eroticism that absolutely GAGGED the audience.
we spoke with them about their creative processes + performances <3 take a lewk…
ABENA
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YAKIKAT
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ABENA ✰ YAKIKAT ✰
Q+A W/ DANCERS ABENA + YAKIKAT
★ how long have you been dancing + how did you get into it?
ABENA: i started dancing when I was 6. i was on a competition team, dance-moms-style, training for hours each day. i started pole dancing when i was living in Accra, Ghana about 4 or so years ago. that was a time when i was coming into myself creatively + experiencing a lot of firsts. pole dancing quickly became the cross section where my expression could exist in its entirety. In my equatorial incubator ABENA was born.
YAKIKAT: i taught myself to dance with music videos when i was a kid, but i've been officially pole dancing for almost 10 years. i wanted to get into contortion to help me express myself in my art, and the only place offering classes at the time was a pole dance studio—the rest is history.
★ what inspired ur performances at FAG?
ABENA: these performances were inspired by the conversations each of us has in our personal art practices. i can also see how our trip to the MET seeped into our subconscious. we saw some amazing African sculptures that inspired the stacked doubles bit. i operate the design studio, KODIE, so the costuming is heavily inspired by my experiences + perspective as a femme non-binary person. for "Office Burnout,” this was my fuck u as a designer. i recognized this performance as an opportunity to make the onlooker feel something, whether arousal, joy, or just pure excitement.
“when faced with violence or repression, what does this unfurling of tradition look like? i felt inspired to turn femininity and tradition on its head, + reconfigure how we relate to acceptability + attraction.”
YAKIKAT: i'm working on a larger project about the eroticism of self-devotion. the pole performance is inspired by biblically accurate angels, some African sculptures we saw at the MET, + result of personal ascension through accepting + integrating the shadow + light of the self.
★ which performance was ur fav?
ABENA: this is like choosing a favorite child. but the pole performance had to be my favorite bc i got to flex every creative muscle with costuming, storytelling, + pole dancing. it was my first pole performance + it felt like pure integration. it felt like i went back to reclaim a piece of my spirit + stood 10 toes down—and 7 feet high—in all that i am. the costuming for 'Biblically Accurate Angels' was very personal + detailed. a bedazzled bandaid to honor my fallen dermal piercing taken out just the day before (super homophobic but i do appreciate the poetry). handmade fleshy mesh micro-kinis lined with obsidian black eyelets; crystal-encrusted pasties paired with black leather shorts and THONGS. Of course, KODIE thongs. I felt reborn, present, + truly alive.
YAKIKAT: the dominatrix calisthenics ended up surprising me as my favorite. it was entirely improvised, + i didn't expect it to become such a high-energy, yet powerful performance. it speaks a lot to my mission right now of inspiring people to tap into the power of their bodies + find the harmony of discipline + fun.
★ how do u prep for a long day/night of performing?
ABENA: recently, i've been working whole bartending shifts before every performance so organization + communication are essential. the night before I pack all the costumes, making sure each performance's items are labeled + packed together. i am a checklist queen so I check all my lists—THRICE! once i'm done with work i jet home + take a moment to myself to drop into character. this usually includes a long hot shower, meditation, + dancing around to my dancer playlist. getting ready is a ritual, so i do my hair + makeup at home. that way, once iarrive at the venue i am ready to go + can extend the same care to my collaborators.
YAKIKAT: in the morning, i take care of any last minute errands + treat myself with a fancy snack. maybe a few ;) i'm daydreaming about the performances + running the music on repeat (if there is any). i try to avoid over-planning them bc the magic lies in improvisation. once i get to the venue, i scope out the environment, talk to whoever i need to, + then generally prefer to keep to myself until it's time to perform.
★ dream joink rotation:
ABENA: the ocean, moon, + me. ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
YAKIKAT: the moon, the ocean, + a lover. ꩜。.ೃ◐ ❨ ࿔*:·
★ on cannabis + performing:
ABENA: for performances + training i've adopted and honored my preference to be sober. there is something about being totally lucid + present that i've found garners its own high. in this context, i use cannabis to come back down to Earth. after those performances a FLAMER joink hits beautifully. i also love to cook with infused honey + make teas or enjoy off hours gummies, + lately, i've been speaking intentions over my cannabis. if I'm entering a writing session i call in focus + eloquence. if I'm going to dance alone at the studio, i call in flow. or to start the day, i call in joy + presence.
YAKIKAT: i never perform under the influence or turn to cannabis to deepen my art. though sometimes, weed just hits me + i write about concepts and reflections for hours. is it well-written? probably not. but I'm usually happy with any epiphanies that arise.
★ what does it mean to u to be a flamer?
ABENA: to be abundant, hot, talented and gay!
YAKIKAT :no matter how hard u try to hide, u'll always be seen
