A Butch is a Butch is a Butch is a Butch

A Butch is a Butch is a Butch is a Butch focuses on the role of language in identity making, spanning between the personal and the political. The title refers to writer Gertrude Stein’s famous phrase, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose,” from the poem Sacred Emily (1913).  

As choreographers, Sterud/Kongsness develop the text in parallel with its performance. The text moves between the abstract and the explicit, weaving together queer and lesbian references. They deal with queer female masculinity in all its forms throughout history up to the present day, drawing connections between queer and feminist struggles.  

Accompanied by an original soundtrack composed by Kari-Helene Blystad and Ragnhild Nelvik Bruseth, Sterud/Kongsness moves from the rhythmic to the fluid, both in language and through the body. They are laid back and sharp, as they give the butch a voice.

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A Butch is a Butch is a Butch is a Butch had it’s pre-premiere as part of the Bergen Dramatikkfestival August 2022, and premiered at Tou Scene in collaboration with RAS as part of Dans på Skeivå August 2023.