Sissies: Something Perfect between Ourselves

Presented by the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division, in partnership with Pieter Performance Space

Bernard Brown, Director and Choreographer of bbmoves will preview Sissies: Something Perfect between Ourselves, a performance and installation by, for, and about Black, Brown, and Indigenous Queer artists who have created spaces that feed the music, dance, fashion, and creative heartbeat of underground queer LA.

Rooted in the African proverb, “Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero,” this project explores a range of artistic modes—dance/performance, film/photography, fashion, and music—mediums that document Black, Brown, and Queer stories as something integral to humanity.

This work centers Black Gay bars and clubs—sites of leisure, pleasure, and resistance—as vital gathering spaces for support and political action, particularly during the gay liberation movement and the onset of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Through the sounds of disco, R&B, techno, and house, Queer people of color dipped and kiki’d their way into a cultural legacy that continues to shape our world, honoring a “lost generation” of souls whose gifts and talents endure.

In partnership with Pieter Space and choreographer Bernard Brown, Sissies pays tribute to the legacy of LA’s Black Queer parties and clubs—spaces that have long served as homes for activism, joy, and care. As many of these spaces have closed or disappeared, this work responds to the urgent need to document, preserve, and build new sites for expression and community.

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Getting Here

The Annenberg Community Beach House is located at 415 Pacific Coast Hwy. Parking is available for $4 per hour or $10 per day. Please pay for parking at the machine upon your arrival. Exact change cash and credit cards are accepted. Ample bike parking is available; please bring a lock.

Access

The Annenberg Community Beach House is wheelchair accessible and ADA compliant. Two beach wheelchairs will be available for this activity. To reserve, call Guest Services at (310) 458-4904 or email beach.house@santamonica.gov. For disability related accommodations, please call Guest Services at (310) 458-4904.