Ampulex Compressa
"Ampulex Compressa" was an original group performance collaboration created for 'Club 4a: Forever After' by Club Chrome. The show featured four queer pole dancers—Thurman, Mutant Dysphoria, Linhqu, and Oryx as lead choreographer. This pole performance was presented alongside a set installation by production designer and sculpture artist celosiafields, in collaboration with sculpture artist Wee Wen Yu. The dancers wore custom costumes by fashion designer Felynn, with make-up assisted by artist Yasmine Keong. This collaborative performance aimed to intertwine cultural heritage, sexuality, gender, and queerness through pole dance while exploring concepts such as ecology and speculative futures. The video was captured by film director Chris Quyen.
Creative Process
In exploring these themes, we were particularly inspired by the durability of insects like cockroaches in a dystopian future. The emerald cockroach wasp, also known by its Latin name Ampulex compressa, became the title and central inspiration for the dance piece. The emerald cockroach wasp, or jewel wasp, is a solitary wasp of the family Ampulicidae, found mostly in tropical regions of Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands.
This parasitic wasp is known for its iridescent exoskeleton, which can appear beautiful under certain lighting conditions. Its fascinating yet gruesome reproductive behavior involves injecting venom into a cockroach, turning it into a "zombie," and leading it to its burrow as a living food source for the wasp's larva.
The beauty and seduction of the wasp, particularly in attracting its mates, served as a key inspiration for the performance. The collaborative process involved world-building, exchanging ideas, and developing mood boards to finalize the costume, sculptures, and dance piece concurrently.
The Elements
Dance
The performance consists of four phases, with each phase’s song and themes defined by the soloist, under the guidance of Oryx, who facilitated and led the movement. Solo moments were created by each soloist.
Costume
The costumes featured a colour palette of iridescent jewel green, contrasted with fur components to create a striking visual effect. The textures and shapes were inspired by the insect world.
Makeup
The makeup design drew from nature’s "freaky" colors, as seen in insects or hydrangeas, with a focus on dramatic and iridescent effects. The palette included all black with iridescent green or blue, capturing the vibes of poisonous frogs and other vibrant creatures.
Sculptures
The sculptures accompanying "Ampulex Compressa" were inspired by the concept of feedback loops and repetitive rhythms within the life cycle of a fictitious parasite known as "The Hatch."
In this imagined narrative, the final stage of "The Hatch's" life cycle is embodied in the sculptures designed for "Ampulex Compressa." In this stage, "The Hatch" has taken control of its host organisms—represented by the performers, who are overtaken by the parasite before reaching the podium.
A total of four life-size sculptures were designed for Club Chrome, each with a strong ecological focus, utilising found and biodegradable materials.
