Florida Woman is an evening length dance theater work that employs the absurd "Florida Man'' internet meme as the lens to examine the stereotypes and myths of Floridian life. Juxtaposing the perceived lawlessness and freedom that historically defined this internet phenomenon with the prevalence of restrictive laws on women's bodies, this work celebrates the aesthetic beauty of Florida and its history as a bastion for all things wild and hopeful. Featuring a massive interactive light sculpture created by Rodrigo Arcaya and Freddy Jouwayed that mimics the overwhelming power of the Florida sun, this work premiered in March 2024 at the historic Asolo Theater in the Ringling Museum and features live singing, intense dancing and alligator wrestling.
This work was created in collaboration with Leah Verier- Dunn of Sarasota, Florida and featured dancers from Sarasota and Miami. It was commissioned by the Ringling Museum. Creative development for this work was supported in a series of residencies in the Historic Asolo Theater and on the grounds of The Ringling.
Estimated run time: 65 minutes
“That juxtaposition of people coming here for a sense of freedom and the people who are here becoming less free is the friction that the work (‘Florida Woman’) is interested in.”- Rosie Herrera
