July 2011 Vodou Salsa
Costume Design: Michelle Lo
Costume Design: Michelle Lo
Vodou originates in the Carribean country of Haiti. Worship is directed towards the Loas, various deities subordinate to the god Bondye. As the Supreme Being, Bondye does not intercede in human affairs; however, the Loas act as intermediaries between Bondye and humanity, and therefore share many human traits. Michelle Lo uses the personalities and characteristics of ten chosen Loas as inspiration for ten salsa dress designs. On each dress is painted a veve, the religious symbol of the Loa, which is used as a beacon for the deity during rituals.
Agwe
Dancers: Ariel Tsai and Grover Lin
Song: Bachata rosa by Juan Luis Guerra
Dance Style: bachata
Choreography: Michelle Lo
The Loa of the Sea is depicted as a mixed-race gentleman in naval uniform, handsome and respectable. He rules over the ocean, fish, and aquatic plants, as well as the fishermen and their ships. As a traveller, Agew is particularly fond of exotic items, and is often worshipped with exotic foods, toy ships, and champagne. These offerings are placed on a raft and floated out to the sea.
Dancers: Ariel Tsai and Grover Lin
Song: Bachata rosa by Juan Luis Guerra
Dance Style: bachata
Choreography: Michelle Lo
The Loa of the Sea is depicted as a mixed-race gentleman in naval uniform, handsome and respectable. He rules over the ocean, fish, and aquatic plants, as well as the fishermen and their ships. As a traveller, Agew is particularly fond of exotic items, and is often worshipped with exotic foods, toy ships, and champagne. These offerings are placed on a raft and floated out to the sea.
Baron Samedi
Dancer: Jessica Huang
Song: Smooth by Santana feat. Rob Thomas
Dance Style: cha-cha
Choreography: Jessica Huang
He is the Loa of the Dead, yet he has a lively personality. Stylishly adorned in a tuxedo suit, top hat, and shades, Baron Samedi is notorious for swearing, making filthy jokes, and chasing after mortal women, as well as being a chain-smoker and an alcoholic. In charge of death, he digs graves and rots corpses. Interestingly, he is also associated with resurrection, occasionally bringing the diseased back to health.
Michelle uses geometric patterns to construct Baron Samedi’s dress, reflecting the straightness and stylishness of his tuxedo.
Dancer: Jessica Huang
Song: Smooth by Santana feat. Rob Thomas
Dance Style: cha-cha
Choreography: Jessica Huang
He is the Loa of the Dead, yet he has a lively personality. Stylishly adorned in a tuxedo suit, top hat, and shades, Baron Samedi is notorious for swearing, making filthy jokes, and chasing after mortal women, as well as being a chain-smoker and an alcoholic. In charge of death, he digs graves and rots corpses. Interestingly, he is also associated with resurrection, occasionally bringing the diseased back to health.
Michelle uses geometric patterns to construct Baron Samedi’s dress, reflecting the straightness and stylishness of his tuxedo.
Damballah
Dancers: Faline Chen and Michelle Lo
Song: Con cada beso by Huey Dunbar
Dance Style: salsa
Choreography: Michelle Lo
Damballah is worshipped as the primordial creator of life, who fathers all other Loas. As Loa of the Sky, he loves the colour white. During rituals, people present him with an egg on a mound of flour or salt. Aged with wisdom, he is the protector of the poor and the weak.
Although Damballah is often represented as a serpent in Haitian beliefs, Michelle’s design for Damballah’s dress resembles the snowy owl, taking from the wisom and sky qualities of the deity.
Dancers: Faline Chen and Michelle Lo
Song: Con cada beso by Huey Dunbar
Dance Style: salsa
Choreography: Michelle Lo
Damballah is worshipped as the primordial creator of life, who fathers all other Loas. As Loa of the Sky, he loves the colour white. During rituals, people present him with an egg on a mound of flour or salt. Aged with wisdom, he is the protector of the poor and the weak.
Although Damballah is often represented as a serpent in Haitian beliefs, Michelle’s design for Damballah’s dress resembles the snowy owl, taking from the wisom and sky qualities of the deity.
Erzulie
Dancer: Jessica Huang
Song: Sway by the Pussycat Dolls
Dance Style: cha-cha
Choreography: Jessica Huang
The seductive Loa of Love is associated with jewellery, beauty, dance, and flowers. She wears three wedding rings, one for each of her husbands, Damballah, Agwe, and Ogoun. She is the embodiment of all female qualities, both the good and the bad. She flirts with all men she finds attractive, and she patronizes gay men. However, she treats every other woman as if they were her enemy, and often reeks with jealousy.
Pink is Erzulie’s colour, and the beading on the chest of Erzulie’s dress expresses her love for jewellery.
Dancer: Jessica Huang
Song: Sway by the Pussycat Dolls
Dance Style: cha-cha
Choreography: Jessica Huang
The seductive Loa of Love is associated with jewellery, beauty, dance, and flowers. She wears three wedding rings, one for each of her husbands, Damballah, Agwe, and Ogoun. She is the embodiment of all female qualities, both the good and the bad. She flirts with all men she finds attractive, and she patronizes gay men. However, she treats every other woman as if they were her enemy, and often reeks with jealousy.
Pink is Erzulie’s colour, and the beading on the chest of Erzulie’s dress expresses her love for jewellery.
Papa Legba and Kalfu
Dancers: Amada Lin and Michelle Lo; Faline Chen and Chang-Wei Tsai
Song: La tortura by Shakira feat. Alejandro Sanz
Dance Style: rueda de casino
Choreography: Michelle Lo
Papa Legba, Loa of the Sun, is an intermediary between the Loas and humanity. He stands at the spiritual crossroads, giving and denying people permission to speak to the gods. However, he is rivaled by Kalfu, Loa of the Moon, who is closely associated with evil and dark magic. Because he is weakened by sunlight and strengthened by moonlight, Kalfu lurks at night, often letting bad luck pass through the crossroads.
The dresses of Papa Legba and Kalfu are designed to be similar yet contradictory to each other. With rueda de casino choreography, the rivalry between the two Loas can be seen.
Dancers: Amada Lin and Michelle Lo; Faline Chen and Chang-Wei Tsai
Song: La tortura by Shakira feat. Alejandro Sanz
Dance Style: rueda de casino
Choreography: Michelle Lo
Papa Legba, Loa of the Sun, is an intermediary between the Loas and humanity. He stands at the spiritual crossroads, giving and denying people permission to speak to the gods. However, he is rivaled by Kalfu, Loa of the Moon, who is closely associated with evil and dark magic. Because he is weakened by sunlight and strengthened by moonlight, Kalfu lurks at night, often letting bad luck pass through the crossroads.
The dresses of Papa Legba and Kalfu are designed to be similar yet contradictory to each other. With rueda de casino choreography, the rivalry between the two Loas can be seen.
Marassa
Dancers: Faline Chen and Michelle Lo
Song: Loca de amor by Belle Perez
Dance Style: salsa
Choreography: Jessica Huang
The Marassa are twins who never leave each other’s sides. They are male and female, yet they are both sexes; they are twins, yet they number three. They are ancient children who possess great power. Mischievous and playful, they love toys and candy.
The twins share one soul. The golden Marassa represents the spiritual aspect of the soul, and the purple Marassa the physical aspect.
Dancers: Faline Chen and Michelle Lo
Song: Loca de amor by Belle Perez
Dance Style: salsa
Choreography: Jessica Huang
The Marassa are twins who never leave each other’s sides. They are male and female, yet they are both sexes; they are twins, yet they number three. They are ancient children who possess great power. Mischievous and playful, they love toys and candy.
The twins share one soul. The golden Marassa represents the spiritual aspect of the soul, and the purple Marassa the physical aspect.
Ogoun
Dancers: Faline Chen and Michelle Lo
Song: Bust Your Windows by Glee
Dance Style: cha-cha and lockin’
Choreography: Zhi-Yuan Lin (lockin’) and Michelle Lo (cha-cha)
Ogoun is the Loa of War. He possesses masculine qualities, such as power and a bad temper. A traditional warrior, he rules over blacksmiths, metal, and politics, and he is said to have initiated and led the Haitian Revolution in 1804, thus obtaining for the Haitian slaves a government that is more responsive to their needs.
The triangular pieces hanging at Ogoun’s skirt represent the bloody weapons he uses in battle.
Dancers: Faline Chen and Michelle Lo
Song: Bust Your Windows by Glee
Dance Style: cha-cha and lockin’
Choreography: Zhi-Yuan Lin (lockin’) and Michelle Lo (cha-cha)
Ogoun is the Loa of War. He possesses masculine qualities, such as power and a bad temper. A traditional warrior, he rules over blacksmiths, metal, and politics, and he is said to have initiated and led the Haitian Revolution in 1804, thus obtaining for the Haitian slaves a government that is more responsive to their needs.
The triangular pieces hanging at Ogoun’s skirt represent the bloody weapons he uses in battle.
Simbi
Dancer: Jessica Huang
Song: La pantera mambo by La 33
Dance Style: salsa
Choreography: Jessica Huang
Simbi is the Serpent Loa, associated with water, herbs, sorcery, and poison. He is the messenger of Legba, Loa of the Sun, and carries people’s souls to all places.
The black and white material extending down the side of Simbi’s dress is representative of the sea snake. Although possessing extremely fatal venom, the sea snake is a graceful animal that glides freely in the water, as if bearing urgent news to its destination.
Dancer: Jessica Huang
Song: La pantera mambo by La 33
Dance Style: salsa
Choreography: Jessica Huang
Simbi is the Serpent Loa, associated with water, herbs, sorcery, and poison. He is the messenger of Legba, Loa of the Sun, and carries people’s souls to all places.
The black and white material extending down the side of Simbi’s dress is representative of the sea snake. Although possessing extremely fatal venom, the sea snake is a graceful animal that glides freely in the water, as if bearing urgent news to its destination.
