choreographic and vocal performance

In Realness by Dam Van Huynh in collaboration with Tommaso Petrolo is an artistic collage of movement, collected texts and sound, standing in resistance to the status quo. As a queer Vietnamese artist, Van Huynh raises his voice against systems of inequality and the stereotypes that reduce Asian identities to silence and inwardness.

Drawing from a diverse set of voices — from Walt Whitman to Pussy Riot, from Audre Lorde to ALOK — the work amplifies a chorus of dissent. Through the body and the voice of performer Tommaso Petrolo, In Realness becomes a forceful act of presence: it vibrates with protest, tenderness, queerness, and fire.

«The voice is a physical organ that sits somewhere between mind and body; Van Huynh choreographs for both with such force that Petrolo’s performance is exhausting and uplifting at the same time.» [Writing about Dance]

Desmond Tutu once said, “If you are neutral in the face of injustice, you are on the side of the oppressor.” In Realnesstakes that provocation as a starting point, weaving collective care and collective rage into a body of resistance. It is a work of political urgency and deep empathy — an exploration of queer sexuality, gender politics and the poetic potential of defiance.

past performances 13–14 May 2022 – Rich Mix – London 12 March 2023 – UfaFabrik – Berlin (DE) 20 May 2023 – Nonsuch Studios – Nottingham 30 November 2023 – The Arts Centre at Edge Hill University – Ormskirk 13 March 2025 – Brighton Dome – Studio Theatre (as part of Undisciplined, in partnership with South East Dance) 19 March 2025 – Colchester Arts Centre