Human Measure

Human Measure is Cassils’ first piece of contemporary dance, made in collaboration with US choreographer Jasmine Albuquerque and a team of five trans and non-binary performers. Rooted in kinesiology, martial arts and sports science, the piece aims to create a live cyanotype in real time. Cassils wants to reinterpret Yves Klein’s Anthropometries paintings. Against a backdrop of US-based anti-trans legislation, Cassils draws inspiration from personal safety movements. Here, the aim is for intersectional representations to press back against narratives surrounding trans bodies and athleticism. Differing from the passive, cis-gendered female models used in Klein’s work, the marks made by performers in Human Measure try to reflect a process of empowered labour.