GLQ A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies· 2026Q1
The Queer Losses of Latinx Orpheus
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A 1948 NYC Ballet production of Orpheus, starring queer Latinx dancers Nicholas Magallanes and Francisco Moncion, is identified as an early instance of queer Latinx performance practices engaging with classical narratives.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- The 1948 NYC Ballet production of Orpheus featured queer Latinx dancers Nicholas Magallanes (Mexican) and Francisco Moncion (Dominican) in lead roles.
- The performance is presented as an early example of queer Latinx artists using classical Greek narratives to express their experiences.
- The myth's themes of loss and failure are interpreted as an allegory for minoritarian subjects in the modern era.
- The essay emphasizes the duet choreography as a method for studying queer of color aesthetics.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This essay reexamines the New York City Ballet's 1948 production of Orpheus, centering two of its major dancers: Nicholas Magallanes and Francisco Moncion. These two queer Latinx figures (from Mexico and the Dominican Republic, respectively) performed in the roles of Orpheus and the Dark Angel, captivating audiences and critics alike with their intimate choreography. The essay indexes this performance as an early example of how queer Latinx performance and aesthetic practices were imagined through classical Greek narratives. It argues that the tale of Orpheus, as one based in moments of loss and failure through a queer protagonist, has manifested as an apt allegory through which minoritarian subjects in the modern era can imagine their own experiences in a world where perfect outcomes are not promised. It also emphasizes the duet as a method for engaging with historical formations of queer of color aesthetics. In focusing on this rendition of Orpheus, this essay underscores its impact as part of a longer genealogy of queer Latinx philhellenism that has continued to shape Latinx expressive cultures to this day.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. GLQ A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Cultural Studies
Cultural StudiesSocial Sciences