FLEX

This project marks the beginning of an incredibly personal journey for Jay Carlon- an opportunity to explore the history of his family and culture through dance. As the youngest child to a migrant-working,Catholic, Filipino family, his story helps illuminate the complex and often erased history of many Filipino-Americans. The original production features a large cast and is highly theatrical, offering the audience an invitation to travel back in time and question what is a memory and what is fantasy.

As his research continues, Jay has adapted FLEX to shift in response to new communities and spaces outside of the theater. Partnering with universities and local organizations, FLEX is accompanied by workshops and classes that allow participants to engage more deeply with the themes of colonization, obedience, resistance, and solidarity. 

Credits

Created and Directed by Jay Carlon

Choreographed in close collaboration with original cast

Lighting Design by Matthew Johns

Composed by Alex Wand

Photography and Video by Jonathan Potter

Original Cast:

David Castillo, Orlando Agawin, Spencer Jensen, Daniel Miramontes, Samantha Mohr, Justin Morris, Joan Padeo, Gigi Todisco, and Ching Ching Wong

Additional Cast Members: Kelsey Ang, Kayla Gabrielle, Odessa Uno, Chelsea Roquero, Alán Perez

FLEX is dedicated to Jay’s father Honorio Carlon, who immigrated to California from the Philippines during the Great Depression for a better life and lived in an untold American narrative, where he came across unexpected adversities and found solace among an immigrant community.

FLEX was developed with support from LA Dance Project’s Making:LA Residency Program