A dance performance in which students where nothing except a thong and latex body paint, Liquid Latex is certainly Brandeis’ most unique tradition. On March 28, 55 models across seven performances took the stage to dance in an array of artistic paint jobs, with pieces ranging from Rocky Horror to Mythical Creatures to the Evolution of Gaga (bonus: the event happened to fall magically on Lady Gaga’s birthday). Participants had to arrive seven and a half hours before the show began to be painted, and the results were nothing short of human masterpieces. When the show was created 17 years ago by students Alaric Toy and Sharon Gobuty, it was debuted as the “Body Art Fashion Show,” making this year’s title, “The Devil Wears Nada,” not only fabulously appropriate to the show’s concept, but also fashionably nostalgic to its origins.
As a participant in this year’s show, I expected to feel exposed – I was dancing in nothing but paint after all – but what I found instead was a new level of confidence along with an intense appreciation for what the event represented. I was a part of a performance that used bodies as an artistic medium – no objectification or body shaming involved – and it was thrilling and expressive, an experience I would do again in a heartbeat.