Showcase Profile

DAMNED STATEMENT

Enter your DAMNED statement below. Please note that only text is allowed (no HTML). We prefer that your statement relates to your views of and/or experiences with being a part of DAMNED. Feel free to share any thoughts of attending the DAMNED events, the DAMNED friendships you may have created and and/or how DAMNED may have affected you as an artist.

Statement

I still cannot believe that I have had the honor of performing in DAMNED the last 2 years. For years prior I had seen flyers, photos, and promo clips and thought “that must be the pinnacle of Detroit performance”. I say this without exaggeration or flattery. The creativity and passion of the performers was evident in the photos. Every detail of the event from the signature light box stage to the careful selection of the art makes it a distinct, immersive experience. When you see a photo from this event you can always immediately place the ambience as uniquely DAMNED. At the time I first started hearing about DAMNED I hadn’t quite stepped out of my tribal bellydancer box and thought I could probably never be “weird” enough for something like that. In 2016 I made it to my first Masquerade and in 2017 I saw my first live Darkness performances. I was overwhelming inspired and at that point began to visualize how I could be a part of this show. I can distinctly remember Stella’s Dia De Los Muertos performance and tearing up as I looked around to see many spectators visibly shaken with emotion. This is what I love most amount DAMNED. In The Darkness we connect through our pain so that we feel a little less alone and in The Enlightenment we heal so that there is hope to keep moving forward. The performances are jarring and thought provoking in a way I had not seen live anywhere else. The DAMNED show feels like family. Even if we only saw each other this one weekend a year there is still an invisible thread and unspoken words that connect us just from participating in this event. Thank you to the producers for taking a chance on me as the newest addition. I look forward to the years to come.