GABRIEL MATA: On Using Personal Narrative
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by ARIES JORDAN
THE CURRENT IMMIGRATION policy has sparked debate and protest throughout the country. For Mexican American dance cho- reographer Gabriel Mata dance is a form of protest. He uses dance and personal narra- tive to bring awareness to current unrest and remove the “façade” of dance choreography. Gabriel’s journey in dance began at the age of 16, the same time he learned of his undocu- mented status. Dance gave him the freedom that his newly discovered immigration status had stripped him of. What began as a stress reliever during a time of crisis has afforded Gabriel unique opportunities to explore the complexities of citizenship and risk- taking through dance. While preparing for his upcoming performance for SjDANCEco Gabriel opens up about his approach to dance, DACA (Deferred Action for Child- hood Arrivals) immigration status and what inspires him. Gabriel Mata: I draw inspiration from a variety of places. My training has been in Ballet, Jazz and modern contemporary. I combine Ballet and Modern in many of my pieces because my body can access the lines of Ballet and I appreciate the groundedness that modern dance offers. I am also trained in Limón technique, developed by Mexican immigrant artist José Limón in the ’70s. His choreography accessed humanistic forms of dance expression that resonated with me. I also like the fact that it was provocative for the time it was created and intention- ally makes space for the individual on stage. Another technique I pull inspiration from is the Cunningham technique developed by Merce Cunningham which is a complete con- trast from Limón. He focuses on the func- tionality of the body in really extreme ways without a narrative. GM: A lot of the talking dance and theater works I have created are very personal. I engage in a self-reflective process, in which I ask myself “how do I share this part of my life? How can I surprise the audience through unpredictability? And how do I layer one theme to the other?” One of my past pieces explored the theme of dream- ing. I took on every angle of dreaming like nightmares, daydreams, aspirations and my DACA dreamer status. I shared my night- mares of navigating the US as an immigrant and daydreams of what I aspire to be in the future. In collaborative pieces, we research how voice can enhance movement. We look at how a push or leap can be enhanced through the use of voice and narrative. AJ: On your website, you stated you create movement that “removes the facade of choreography”, what is the facade of choreography? GM: Choreography has a facade that limits full access to our body and the way relation- ships are performed on stage. The facade conforms to stereotypical relations whether male/female or male/male. Through the use of voice, I can explore deeper relationships. The facade also includes minimizing the indi- vidual. There is so much more to the dancer than their ability to master well-known cho- reography. For example, when you see the Nutcracker, you always get the same kind of choreography and the same narrative every time. They may be all smiles but there is a personal narrative not being shared that is valuable. Aries Jordan: Where do you pull inspiration for your choreography? AJ: What is your process for pairing dance moves with text? AJ: How has your DACA status informed or influenced how you dance? GM: I have combined the way I live with my art form. My DACA status has to lead me
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people out there intent on hurting Hispan- ics within the US. I realize that I am putting so much on the line in exposing so much about myself. At times I feel like I have to tread lightly when I am performing in differ- ent places within the country. Before I per- form I kiss the center of my hand and set the intention that my performance will further the narrative of what it means to be undocu- mented in this country. That helps to center me before any doubt starts to creep in. AJ: You have an upcoming solo performance Where/ I begin at sjDANCEco, what can audiences expect to see? GM: I have always held the identity of Mexi- can American because I was born in Mexico. This piece for me challenges any notions of citizenship based on where you were born. I came here when I was five and became who I am here! My education, profession and deepest relations with family and others have been here! To represent my experience I cre- ated an abstract design using masking tape. With voice and movement, I create spaces within the confines of the physical space. This piece tells the story of my life in which I am made to feel different even though I don’t feel different. ARIES JORDAN is an Educator, Storyteller, and Writer. She holds an MFA in English and Creative Writing from Mills College. Her writing weaves prose, proverbs, and cultural narratives into enticing reviews, poems, blog posts, product and service de- scriptions that provoke thought and inner reflection. She is a proud New Yorker based in Oakland, CA. Social media: @ariesjthepoet There is so much more to the dancer than their ability to master well-known choreography. —GABRIEL MATA
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to believe and create radical contemporary dances that make a statement. Which is why I think the voice is so important for people who have navigated life as an immigrant whether documented or undocumented. One of my goals is to make it very clear to audiences that other narratives are out there. Many American born dancers take for granted their access and privilege that is not afforded to the immigrant community. As an immigrant, you don’t have access to grant funding and higher education needed to train or even network. AJ: You openly disclose and explore your immigration status on stage, are you ever concerned about repercussions in this polit- ical climate? GM: There are over 700,000 DACA recipi- ents of many different bodies and ethnici- ties in the United States. My mission is to create space for others who have had simi- lar experiences or share DACA status to see themselves. Something that concerns me is the reaction of audience members because I am a person of color, gay and undocu- mented. Negative thoughts do creep in the wake of the El Paso, Texas shooting, like what if someone shoots up the place because of how I identify. I am aware that there are
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ON THIS PAGE / Gabriel Mata: On Using Personal Narrative by Aries Jordan 3 / IN PRACTICE: Adia Whitaker by Sima Belmar 4 / Questioning Contact Improvisation by Keith Hennessy 6 / October Calendar 8 / One Educator At a Time by Jochelle Pereña & Patricia Reedy 10 / What’s The Big Deal? by Parya 12 / A Tokushima Tradition by Mina Rios
sjDANCEco presents Etched in Time , Oct 18-19, 8pm, San Jose sjdanceco.org
2 in dance OCT 2019
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