“Here I am, look at me, I’m not ashamed.” That’s how she would like it choreographer Patricia Apergi let every body speak—the body of each of us—that will courageously stand in the spotlight and proudly embrace its imperfections.

Her new show is called “House of Trouble” could be “a love letter to the strangeness of the times we live in, illuminating the need for all of us to accept ourselves for who we are.” Loving him instead of constantly thinking about how to “fix” him, she says in our conversation about her new job.

So what’s going on inside this troubled house for which he works with contemporary dance group Aerites? “We are creating a utopian world,” Ms. Apergi replies. “This is a fantastic place that every person needs because it provides the safety and comfort of home, family, community. On the other hand, the name of the performance contains a contradiction: domestic silence is opposed to turmoil. We live in a divided society: on the one hand, there are those who take for granted the free expression of everyone’s personality. On the other hand, those who discover with surprise and sometimes with anger that we are not all the same.”

“We are interested in both transformation and distortion, concepts that function as metaphors in choreography,” says P. Apergi.

The first step towards the acceptance of diversity and multiculturalism is expressed by the Aerites group itself, the seven Greek and foreign dancers participating in the production represent a wide age range from 22 to 40 years old. “We are interested in both transformation and distortion, concepts that in choreography work as metaphors to talk about diversity,” explains the choreographer. “Initially, I was inspired by the idea of ​​the circus, this magical place that brought us together when we were kids, but as we grew older, we realized that there was a shelter in which bodies were thrown away by society, the so-called “freaks”, who could show their diversity”.

Truth or spectacle?

But what happens when we can no longer tame the other? When does visiting this world touch the darkest part of our soul? When will the dwarf we applaud decide to pull the trigger? When violence comes from people who fought for freedom from violence? Circus or life? Truth or spectacle?

“House of Riots” is a celebration that embodies all of these reactions. He uses the contrasts of time to show us that despite our weaknesses, prejudices, fears, we can have a good time even if we disagree or don’t fit in. He speaks of our freedom to embrace different cultures and uses modern kinetic vocabulary that nonetheless finds links to the past.

While researching The House of Riots, Patricia Apergy traveled to New York and Paris with the support of the Onassis Shelter Foundation, holding residencies to connect with the pioneers of krump and fashion dance trends. In December 2022, he visited New York, a city where fashion triumphs thanks to the tradition of Harlem’s ballrooms. A little later, he went to Paris, which is currently the European headquarters for the development of street dance culture, assimilating new forms of movement and aesthetics.

“My goal was to understand their ideas and then transform them together with the team into something new that still has a link to the past,” comments Ms. Apergi. For the choreographer, physical self-expression is a means of survival in the urban environment, and, as in her work in general, in House of Hustle she expresses herself through dance, speech and theater.

“House of riots”, building of the Onassis Foundation, May 4-7.