What are the limits of our attention, and how do those limits test the strength of our bonds? my tongue is a blade is a three-hour movement performance-practice rooted in relation, memory, and reflection. Four performers commit to remembering one another, holding one another, bearing one another, and sustaining the world that contains them. A rich visual and sonic landscape invites the audience to witness this shared practice and to resonate within it.

Originally commissioned by the Irish Museum of Modern Art as part of Take a Breath, with support from the Sam Gilliam Foundation. Support for Sweat Variant is provided in part by the Mellon and Howard Gilman Foundations, as well as by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project with funding from the Doris Duke Foundation.

The runtime for my tongue is a blade is three hours, no intermission. Each durational performance is three hours long, and we encourage audiences to come and go throughout the piece. Entry is rolling through the duration of the installation, and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Created by: Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born
Performed by: Okwui Okpokwasili, Bria Bacon, Kris Lee and AJ Wilmore
Production design: Peter Born
Producer: Annabel Heacock
Dramaturg: Katherine Profeta