Jezebel | Battersea Arts Centre
© Bas De Brouwer The Jezebel stereotype, discussed in Black feminist scholarship and most notably in Deborah Gray White's book Ar'n't I a Woman? , is one of the many pigeonholes that intersect racism and sexism. In her dance performance Jezebel , Cherish Menzo takes the key feature of this stereotype, namely the association of Black women with promiscuity and unquenchable sexual thirst, to critique the hypersexualization of Black women's bodies in hip-hop videos from the 90s and 00s. The rigour and self-reliance in Menzo's every moment make for a captivating experience. Her fake white nails, along with close-ups of her mouth painted in a glittered purple lipstick, create striking images that are equally fascinating and haunting. The costumes (Daniel Smedeman), especially a white coat that at moments seems to swallow Menzo whole, draw our attention to her body without objectifying it. The visual experience is enhanced by the excellent sound design (Michael Nunes)...