Leave it to the Knife to make cornrows seem not awful. In the music video for the Caribbean-influenced “A Tooth for an Eye,” the second single from the Swedish duo’s upcoming album, Shaking the Habitual, a woman referee rocking some cornrows is the boss of an otherwise all-male dance class. According to the band themselves, this is because they wanted to deconstruct and flip gender roles. That, and they’re big Moira Quirk fans.
“A Tooth For An Eye” deconstructs images of maleness, power and leadership. Who are the people we trust as our leaders and why? What do we have to learn from those we consider inferior? In a sport setting where one would traditionally consider a group of men as powerful and in charge, an unexpected leader emerges. A child enters and allows the men to let go of their hierarchies, machismo and fear of intimacy, as they follow her into a dance. Their lack of expertise and vulnerability shines through as they perform the choreography. Amateurs and skilled dancers alike express joy and a sense of freedom; There is no prestige in their performance. The child is powerful, tough and sweet all at once, roaring “I’m telling you stories, trust me”. There is no shame in her girliness, rather she possesses knowledge that the men lost a long time ago. (Via)
Hey, if all dance classes are soundtracked by the Knife from now on, sign me up!
