Coco Villa - Chapter Three
self portrait by Coco Villa
CHAPTER THREE: La Limpieza
La Limpieza, which translates to “cleaning” or “cleanse,” is one of three short films that exists under the project, How to Turn Poison Into a Meal. It consists of intimate moments between oneself and a shared space to witness each other's movements and sounds. In this space, we shift between possession and exorcism, feeling ourselves and feeling out of ourselves. It is sexy and dark with a touch of awkwardness. The clothing for this movement piece consists of soft edges, textured fabrics, and garments that cling close to the body. They exist somewhere in the realm of timeless avant garde fashion. Conceptually, they carry the heaviest weight. I suppose that is actually quite literal, but they definitely drip romance and unleash thorns.
This ritual is something I merely observed as a child and eventually began to practice intuitively on my own. It was never something I was outwardly invited to participate in. I was not offended, mostly because this practice seemed like a secret confession. In times of overwhelming grief, the womxn who raised me moved their bodies in truly intricate ways. It seemed to fluctuate between movements that were slow and mindless to bursts of catharsis and back again. They would float, collide, break, melt, swell, reroot and so on. Sometimes they cried silently while moving. Other times I would over hear odd sounds coming out of them, sounds I never heard them make. They were grunts, moans, and maybe self soothing mantras. Whatever it was, it was poetic, kind of demonic, and I loved it.
A Guided Limpieza for You
Find a space where there is little to no light
Touch your collarbones
Tap your sternum and ribcage
Kiss you shoulders and elbows and knees
Caress you ears, chin, cheekbones and forehead
If there is a song that moves you at the moment, imagine it
Move your body to what you hear
Notice the big sounds and little sounds
What is the color of these sounds?
Allow this color to skim your skin
Do not restrict your vocal chords
Release any sound that flows out of you naturally
Expand on this idea by introducing sighs, grunts, moans, and hums
You can do this for 1 minute, 7 minutes, 22 minutes, or even 118 minutes.
besos,
coco