'Uso' is a duet based on Joash and his brother. Their mum used to leave for work in the morning and give them chores to do during the holidays. 'Uso' is about what happens when she leaves and what they get up to while they are doing the chores. It is a playful piece. It shows the competition between the brothers, but also that the chores within a Samoan household are about wanting to help family and support their mum. That plays against the time pressure, and just wanting to muck around.
The dance style in this work sees two very different styles and influences become merged together. The first is Fa’ataupati - the Samoan slap dance, or Sasa. The second is the one-upmanship present in a classic Bob Fosse dance routine where two men try to out-do each other in a back alley. Photo credit: Jinki Cambrenero
|
Watch both clips below and see what similarities you notice between
the 'Uso' dance in 'Side B' and these original influences and inspirations.
the 'Uso' dance in 'Side B' and these original influences and inspirations.