Human Resource: Corporeal Experiences in Professionalism

The piece titled, “Human Resource: Corporeal Experiences in Professionalism” is a contemporary dance and performance piece juxtaposing our societal struggle with emotional regression, femininity and comradeship through the lens of corporate American professionalism.

The project takes the microcosm of the work space to parallel societal contexts, taking a multidisciplinary approach merging movement, performance and scene presentation to convey a clear narrative to the viewer. The subject matter of the project maintains relevancy to our continuing fast paced and overwhelming environment which has become void of focusing on healthy emotional expression and instead sterilizing our natural need to be emotional only to become individualistic resulting in a mismanagement of our emotions and division of our innate need to be communal. The current state of psychology has become rancid with rhetoric that brings the individual to an “I” state of mind, preventing the necessary communal support we need as humans to survive. Instead of offloading both the physical and emotional work of our lives in comradeship with others, we internalize and fight alone. Community support becomes communal misery, focusing on temporary fixes and not longevity driven solutions

This project shows both the fight alone and the value of group support from one another prompting questions about the human condition. To challenge the audience, the discussion of femininity as self expression and survival is often referenced through costuming and makeup with each performer highlighting feminine quality whilst maintaining a tired look. The dynamic movements are created with current contemporary dance techniques and influences from physical theater and acrobatics. The blurring of lines between performance art, movement art and choreography intermingle through out the duration of the piece to break traditional molds of dance in the state of Texas.

Human Resource was premiered at the 2024 Texas Biennial through the Blaffer Art Museum. Performers include, Isabella Mireles Vik, Gabrielle De La Rosa, Lindsay Cortnar and Araiza Araiza. The composition of the voicemail sound piece was created in collaboration with Jamie Hernandez, a Houston noise artist. The film was produced and directed by Isabella Mireles Vik with videographer/cinematographer Derek Rathburn to capture the movement in its essence for the lens.