Brutal Honesty

Overview

In our present reality of alternate facts, deep fake AI, and political fraud, I seek an answer to some of the biggest questions in popular culture today:
What is the value of truth?
Do we believe in honesty? Is being honest a political act? What are the mechanics of honesty in the body?

A multidisciplinary solo project, Brutal Honesty interrogates what is personal truth and whether we can ever be truly honest with ourselves and others. Zornitsa attempts to embrace the multiplicity of all she is in the present moment (honest lies and fake beliefs) as a political act against dualism and polarization.
A choreographer and improviser with 20 years of stage experience, she dances, speaks, sings fake opera, makes up poetry on the spot, interviews the audience, moves objects around the room, drinks the cold water when things get too hard, and ultimately attempts to define and understand honesty.
Breaking the 4th wall the performance works within the boundaries of the confessional, the mundane, and the absurd. Brutal Honesty is also a practice developed in relation to the works of Deborah Hay and Jeanine Durning. Sometimes funny, the piece includes nudity and live-feed special effects.
Interrogating what it means to be honest and authentic, Zornitsa questions normative behaviors, societal norms, and the performative nature of all our identities.

About the Artist

Artist Statement:
I am a multidisciplinary performance artist. As an immigrant and a mother, my body holds a plethora of identities that shape the content of my work. As a choreographer I use text, song, man-made materials, and movement to create performances. I am drawn to themes of otherness, womanhood, feminism, power dynamics and vulnerability. My work is influenced by surrealism and science fiction, and I often engage with my audience by inviting them on stage or choosing a non-traditional venue and format for my work.
I care deeply about sustainability in the dance community, both from the individual life/career balance perspective and on organizational level. I research and hope to create platforms that are fiscally self-sustaining and focus on development, knowledge exchange, and support. Producing, curating and writing about others work is a huge part of my creative process. I hope though my lifes work to further conversation and collaboration in the global dance performance field.

BIO:
The authentic part:
Its been about 20 years of making performance. My big muses are Miguel Gutierrez, Fay Driscoll, the gorgeous Annie Wilson (who is a close friend). I've lived in Philly for 15 years and I've done a lot there. Was one of the "olden" Mascher members joining the collective only 2months after its inception. I've done a lot and still in my 40's feel like a young artist constantly discording new things. I have two kids, I love sci-fi, I love talking to my audience. I love Philly and miss it dearly. Sometimes I feel I should do a public talk on how Philly is incredible. So, yes I've done a lot of things in 20 years and bellow you can find some of them in my official bio.

The official bio:
Zornitsa Stoyanova (USA/BUL) is an award-winning performance artist, curator, writer, lighting, and video designer. Based between Sofia, Bulgaria and Philadelphia, US, she directs her company BodyMeld which along with presenting her work, focuses on creating programs in