America, the beautiful
Duration: 50 mins.
Media: Performance
Date: 1995 - 1998

Description: "America the Beautiful" is Nao's embodiment of the blonde sex-kitten archetype. Binding her voluptuous Latina physique into a packing taped-up hourglass, Nao's cartoonish incarnation takes us through appropriately patriotic travails, Severely handicapped by her requirements of feminine guile and beauty paegant pretensions, America precariously climbs the metaphorical ladder of success in high heels...." from "Wobbling in High Places", Samuael Topiary, SF Bay Times

Watch America, the beautiful (QuickTime required) performed in Lima, Peru, 2002

Venues include: Mardi Gras, Sydney, Australia; Diviasiones, Madrid, Spain; Body Act, Malmo, Sweden; Update,Copenhagen, Denmark; Terreno Peligroso/Danger Zone University of California, Los Angeles; XíTeresa, Arte Alternativo,Mexico City; Bay Area Dance Series, Laney College, Oakland, CA; Fierce Tongues: Women of Fire Festival, Highways, Santa Monica, CA; Post-Colonial California, San Francisco State University; 1994 A Day Without Art, Southern Exposure; La Panaderia, Mexico City; Mirror, Mirror, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, CA; Sor Juana Festival, Chicago Mexican Museum Center of Fine Art; Junge Hunde, Kampnagel, Hamburg, Germany: Bimbotown, Liepzig, Germany: International Festival of Physical Theatre, Jerusalem, Israel; Diverse Works, Houston, Texas

Photo credit: Lorie Novak