Kianí del Valle: Choreography as Political Language, from Super Bowl to Berlin

Kianí del Valle, a choreographer from Puerto Rico celebrated for her collaborations with Bad Bunny and Lorde, is set to showcase her work at the Neue Nationalgalerie and Hamburger Bahnhof during Berlin Art Week. Transitioning from classical painting to dance, Del Valle perceives movement as a form of experiential communication. Her Super Bowl performance for Bad Bunny's "El Apagón" highlighted the privatization of Puerto Rico's power grid and featured Jíbaros as cultural icons, prompting backlash from President Donald Trump. She links perreo to "perreo combativo," a protest dance originating in the late 1980s. Del Valle, who resides in Berlin, emphasizes that she creates art regardless of the setting, stating, "I make art whether at the Super Bowl or in the museum," and maintains a deep connection to Puerto Rico.