What does it mean to belong when you’re caught between worlds? To chase dreams when you’re met with failure at every step? Through monologue and movement, Fancy Dancer tells the incredible story of young ballerina facing these questions. This autobiographical one-woman show is beautifully written by Larissa FastHorse.
In rural South Dakota, young Lara finds herself living undefined between her white small town and her indigenous Lakota community. Never knowing anyone like her, she finds herself in the image of world-renowned Osage ballerina Maria Tallchief. She sets her sights on becoming a fancy dancer and professional ballerina. Every night, she wishes on a star. Every day, she pushes past her limits to become the best she can. She finds sanctuary in dance as she overcomes social isolation and a physical disability. This play takes us through her incredible, deeply personal journey as she learns what it means to belong and what it means to dream.
The role of Lara is performed by Larissa FastHorse herself or by actress Burgandi Trejo Phoenix. I was lucky enough to attend a night where FastHorse was performing. Her background is in film, theatre, and television as a writer and director. She has over two dozen works that focus on sharing indigenous stories. The Thanksgiving Play, which she began writing in 2015, was the first Native-American written play to be produced on Broadway and to make the top 10 most produced plays list. She began writing Fancy Dancer around 2018. The first versions had a large cast and complex set. But as the script was revised and the core meaning of the story began to reveal itself, she ended up writing a one-person play. The grand set was also whittled down to be small and static. In this process, FastHorse found herself playing Lara.
FastHorse is not an actress by trade, but you'd never guess that from watching her performance. She captivates the audience from the first moment. Her vivid storytelling invites the audience into her childhood and teenage years. Alone onstage for 95 minutes, Larissa FastHorse relives the isolation of her own past. Her background in ballet shines through as she moves gracefully across the stage. The set is simple yet gorgeous: dark windows loom over a small dance studio. A chair and a barre are the only props she has. Light projections displayed over the entire stage bring you even further into Lara’s world.
This was truly one of the best plays I’ve seen in a long time. I found myself with tears rolling down my cheeks and a smile across my face multiple times. It is a masterpiece and a must-see. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt left out or out of place, and anyone who has dared to dream big. Lara's story of hope and perseverance is universal.
Seattle Rep: Fancy Dancer
Wikipedia: Larissa FastHorse
a discussion post for my archaeology class:
how do we use historical events to uphold certain narratives?
We are constantly using past events to push certain narratives whether we realize it or not. There is one historical event that stands out to me in particular. I believe its messaging is incredibly harmful, especially since it is so subtle.
I’m sure you’re familiar with Salem, Massachusetts. In 1692-93, fourteen women and five men were accused of practicing witchcraft and executed by hanging. Modern media often draws inspiration from these events. Hocus Pocus (1993) depicts three witches who were killed during the trials returning to Salem. Popular television series like Bewitched, Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and WandaVision all play off this idea of witches in Salem, only to name a few. Today, the words “Salem” and “witches” are nearly inseparable.
Let me remind you that none of the accused people were witches. This may seem obvious, but modern narratives seem to skip over this fact. There is a lingering belief that these women did something wrong, that they were actually witches. This suggests that the accusations against them were, to some degree, reasonable. The modern interpretation of the Salem Witch Trials reinforces the narrative that women, especially older women, are “witches” or “hags”. Notice that the vast majority of the victims were between the ages of 50 and 80, the youngest being 35. While we often romanticize the trials and ignore the brutal reality, there is an underlying message that women are inherently corrupt, untrustworthy, or susceptible to influence from the devil (or other evils). You could argue many different reasons for this prejudice: a fear of women with power and/or autonomy, disdain for women who are “useless” (too old to bear children), or concern about non-conventional/non-christian beliefs, just to name a few. The bottom line is: a widespread distrust of women is ingrained in our society. Our current narrative about the tragedies in Salem only supports this idea.
The Salem Witch Trials occurred towards the end of mass witch hunts during the 16th and 17th centuries. 40,000-60,000 people (overwhelmingly women) were falsely accused of being witches and executed throughout Europe. The witch-panic is still around today. In the United States, the most recent influx was the Satanic Panic in the 80s. However, every year, thousands of people across the world are accused of witchcraft and killed.
These ideas are embedded within cultures throughout the world, and they have proved deadly over and over again throughout history.
Wikipedia: Salem Witch Trials
Wikipedia: Cultural Depictions of the Salem Witch Trials
Wikipedia: List of people of the Salem Witch Trials