formaldehyde begins with a mortal body hypnotized by fantasies of material preservation. In a soundscape of sparkling commercials, the body is seduced by promises of anti-decay - glitter, Botox, embalming, competition dance. As the body processes each material, it is pulled towards a fantasy state of eternally preserved death. This state, inherently untenable, cracks at its edges as the body is consumed and alchemized by rot and fungi - offering a re-entry into a different eternity.

Akane Little is a Brooklyn-based dance artist approaching the body and performance as an altar-portal for transmuting energy and channeling worlds. They started off in competition dance in a small-town studio in Mississippi, and continued on to study contemporary dance under Alysia Ramos at Oberlin College. They have freelanced in both Cleveland, OH (Catherine Meredith, Megan Young, Madi Jackson, Rebecca Burcher, and more) and New York City (Kinesis Project, Boy Friday, Hivewild, Hard/Femme Dances, God Complex x Aeon Andreas, Nick Brooke, Michael Chinworth, Chaesong Kim, and more). Commercial credits include Bridget Kearney (Lake Street Dive), Carolina Oliveros (Combo Chimbita), Tom Petty, and Sam Smith. Since 2023, they have been a core member of the LEIMAY Ensemble under the direction of Ximena Garnica & Shige Moriya. @akane.little