At 23, Pioneer Winter is something of a curiosity. He was born in South Miami, graduated from the dance magnet at Michael Krop high school in 2006, choreographed a show for the largest arts festival in the world in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2007, had his master's degree in public health and epidemiology by 2009, performed with Dance Now! Miami, Next Step Dance, and Jubilee Dance Theatre and in Cotton Club Revues in Mexico City, Barcelona and Madrid. He's trained with dancers like Michael Langlois and Brigid Baker. He was also an original cast member in Rosie Herrera's Various Stages of Drowning: A Cabaret in 2009.
Winter: Since I began choreographing, it's always been my motivation to
create work that focuses on social change or reformation, in addition
to the obvious artistic aesthetic. Phallussy came out of my own
experiences as a young man navigating my way through relationships and
my own sexuality. As I am a young choreographer, my experiences are not
the same as my cohorts, where most of them have had life occurences that
I may not have encountered as of yet. One's sexuality, though, is
something that is incredibly visceral. Who better to represent this
over-emotional, turbulent, sometimes life-altering experience than
someone who is still riding that "wave?"
partner can use my clothes to walk over. In return for my kindness,
though, she breaks down in a fit of hysterical laughter over my
"shortcomings." This serves as a metaphor for other aspects of a
relationship where, try as you might, your best is simply never good
enough.
a male and female, dancing to a string quartet version of Metallica's
"Nothing Else Matters." As they are dancing in a box of purple light,
projected on the back [wall] are two male dancers performing a
pre-recorded rendition of the same pas de deux. This shows the
inherent differences between male and female dynamics, and how it's
really impossible not to find beauty in BOTH versions.
a work-in-progress (part of the Miami Made Weekend's "Incubator"
series), I think the audience will feel satisfied with the performance. I
can only look forward to presenting more and more work in the future.
name, I can thank my father for. The shortest answer would be that he's
a hippie. He wanted my first name to be something very unique and for
my middle name to be "Chilly" ... so, "Pioneer Chilly Winter." However,
my mom intervened and I was born Pioneer Cole. (Still, when you say my
name fast, it sounds like "Pioneer Cold Winter," which, at that point,
might as well have been kept as "Chilly.")
p.m. at the Carnival Studio Theater (1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami).
Tickets are free and seating is first-come, first-served. Visit
arshtcenter.org/miamimade.