TIMELINE: CREATIVE PROCESS
shuhada شُهَدَاء
June2023 In Northern Lebanon, I am with the choreographer Alexandre Paulikevitch in his ancestral home. The furniture is pushed aside. He reminds me, not all have the luxury of a dance studio, but we still must work. Nothing will stop us from our work. a question: Palestine in America/intergenerational wounds/terrorist accusation landing on my 12 year old body ORIENTAL/ an early ORIENTation away from/ thisArab identity/ 18 years later/ dig into the rubble (again) fi nd the stories purposely forgotten (again)
martyrs
shahid شهيد
witness; to bear witness
We start with a fi st.
Theword martyr and witness are derived from the same sounds: shُ ش ha ه
da د
then … a terrain of gestures, shapes, a mercurial spill. but movement is not enough this time. Alexandre says, you must speak. My throat tightens.
in Arabic, a 3 letter/sound root system ties words together in meaning hinting to relation and relatives
October 8 2023 GENOCIDE BEGINS. I am in Beit Jala, Palestine with my family. I am staying for the olive harvest. I am staying in the house. wearewatchingthenews.wearewatchingthenews.wearewatchingthenews. MASSACRES. ALIVE-STREAMED. UNPROVOKED!? UNPROVOKED!!!? “moz baladna!” We feel the death of our people in Gaza, hear war planes fl y overhead. Near to us. Me and little Yusef make a sleepover on the balcony. I want him to experience something magic – before I leave him in my privileged passport escape. I want to watch the sky.
alshahadaَ الشَّهَادَة
testimony, evidence
mushahid المشاهد
the spectator
martyrs bear witness to their own death spectators bear witness to give the testimony
november… december… 2023 numb
2024 begin collecting language, the surreal, unreal things people say all I know: performance must become evidence
BECOME THE EVIDENCE BECOME THE EVIDENCE
HAPPENED
OFWHATHAS
SAID
OF WHAT HAS BEEN
34
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WINTER 2025 in dance 35
In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
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