Whole by Elle Verhagen Carmen Freudenthal

With ‘Becoming Siren’, Alexandra Hopf links the cultural history of the mythological Sirens with the story of the siren suit, a one-piece garment for the whole body which can easily be put on or taken off. Worn by women in England for comfort and modesty, but also popular among men and children, the suit was designed for use during air raids in World War II. Wearing these overalls, the dancers of the performance group The Sirens would entertain inside bunkers and London Underground shelters. The historical source material and reconstructed dance scenes reveal the diversity of the siren, in turn opening up space to dissolve gender polarities and class differences.