Site-specific work that evokes the cultural background of the middle and working class from which its choreographer comes, recalling childhood party nights where cumbia became not only a celebration, but also a lullaby that today stands as the resistance of a Global South society shaped by single mothers, matriarch grandmothers, and queer children.

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With a small speaker, a cellphone, and party clothes, this contemporary choreography can be performed in any space, as it engages reciprocally with the structure where the performance takes place, allowing the performer’s body to emerge from its relationship with the walls, the ceiling, the floor, and the empty space.

How do I create when the only thing I have is lack?

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Cumbia has its origins in Latin America. It is a blend of pre-colonial Indigenous music and rhythmic elements brought to the region by African slaves during colonization. Today, Cumbia is widespread across the South American continent and takes on different forms in the celebrations of various generations from precarious contexts. South American choreographer Felipe Fizkal presents an interpretation of Cumbia as both a musical genre and a dance practice in a solo version.

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This piece was presented as part of the Tanztage Potsdam 2025 festival at Kunsthaus Sans Titre Potsdam.

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Photos: Joshua Paulini

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