ilvs strauss

ilvs strauss is an analytical chemist turned multi-disciplinary performance artist living and loving in Seattle. Her art cuts a wide swath across disciplines, ranging from Dance Narrative performance to anamorphic outdoor sculptures, illustrated storytelling to haiku poetry. strauss also leads a combination of workshops on writing, movement and performance simultaneously. In 2014 she was listed in Dance Magazine’s BEST of 2014 list for her solo piece, Manifesto, and currently she is writing a queer sci-fi play, as well as an all-ages drawing book featuring a fair amount of Easter eggs.

ilvs received 2016 GAP funding for Manifesto, a dance narrative performance that employs a marine invertebrate, a California Red Sea Cucumber to be exact, as a vehicle for exploring the topic of womanhood (what it takes to be a woman, what it means to be a woman who does not want children, and what to do with those creative energies). No set, minimal costumes and a few handmade larger-than-life props create the backdrop for a subtle, detailed dance set to the tune of a clear, concise narrative taking audience members on an engaging, genre-blending stroll through personal ruminations and aspirations.