Heartistry is a podcast based on the idea that we are all artists— creating a choreography or mas- terpiece through our respective life paths—and the belief that when life is approached with heart, there is a form of artistry, or as we call it " heartistry ."
innovative projects. We engaged in conversations on creative collab- oration during the pandemic and watched the premiere of a dance/ music video project — Aaj Rang Hai (Today There is Color/Light/Hope ). We also had a real-time Q & A ses- sion giving our virtual audience an opportunity to interact with the art- ists through the chat feature. We had over 100 people join us for the episode in real time, with more that viewed after the air date. We were intentional in selling tickets for the event, and even now, though we want to make the episode accessible, we are unapologetic about requesting a donation to the organization in an effort to always encourage finan- cial support for the arts and artists. #PAYARTISTS With anything new, there are always unforeseen tasks that come up, but there are also wonderfully unpredict- able outcomes which reinforce the importance of the work that artists do. It has become increasingly apparent to many in the arts community just how critical our work is. It is for our own survival, and the sanity and sur- vival of those that we serve through our classes, our performances, and our various offerings. For those that are consciously taking on the responsibil- ity of preserving cultural heritage and history, there is an increased respon- sibility of passing down their artistic practices and traditions as well. Oper- ating on the belief that the practice of art making is a form of activism, we acknowledge that many artists proac- tively utilize their art as a catalyst for social impact. This led us to the theme for our upcoming episodes of the Heartistry Video Series . #heARTivism In April and June we will share Epi- sodes 2 & 3 of the Heartistry Video Series . We are calling these episodes Social Change through HeARTivism . Art and Artists have long been at the forefront of making social
Following the air date, each episode can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Season 1 welcomed phenomenal indi- viduals including many who make up the rich tapestry of Bay Area artists— Kai Davis, Rena Marie Guidry, Raissa Simpson, David Herrera, Deepti Warrier, Jim Santi Owen, Kawika Alfiche, Sheherazaad & Chanpreet Singh, Amit Patel and Wayne Hazzard along with many others—each sharing their amazing story of finding and fol- lowing their heart led passion. Listen to any and all of the episodes. As 2020 went on, probably needless to say, all of our guests joined me via Zoom rather than in person. Consid- ering all that has been going on in the world, my time in conversation with each guest continued to yield stories of their respective journeys, as well as the conveyance of a deeply reflective state of how they were being impacted per- sonally, professionally, physically and emotionally. I believe that each con- versation has a timeless quality to it by hearing both the guest’s “origin story” and their own presently evolving path. I’ve been loving each and every con- versation when they take place, during the editing process, when it airs on Rukus Avenue Radio, and sometimes even listening to it again on a podcast platform. I realized that I was being
given the gift of not just hearing the words of each guest, but being able to interact with them by asking questions, having dialogue, reflecting, and even sharing my own experiences as I spoke with them. All of it continues to move me deeply, and has made me want to explore this medium even more - not just through the podcast, but to find other ways to share and amplify voices, experiences, themes, and topics. ENHANCING THE VISUAL Our organization, Noorani Dance, decided to expand on this idea and take these conversations to more of a visual platform, while simultane- ously maintaining the podcast. Thus, the Heartistry Talk Show welcomed her sister, the Heartistry Video Series . Through a virtual, visual platform, we return to recordings of past per- formances of Noorani Dance and its collaborators, and at times, create anew, seeking to reimagine our work as artists during this new normal as a catalyst for collaboration, creativity, and conversation. Episode 1: Creativity, Collabora- tion & Community aired in Novem- ber 2020. I and some of my brilliant musical artist collaborators expressed our sentiments about being an artist during the pandemic, and the unique methods we are utilizing to execute
Our collaborating artists include: Brinda Guha, Athena Nair, Alicia Nascimento, Annette Phillip, Nadhi Thekkek and Aysha Upchurch. In the second of these two episodes, we will premiere a new collaborative work, including Farah, where the artists will come together to create a new dance work and will also welcome special guest Valarie Kaur, a seasoned civil rights activist, award-winning filmmaker, lawyer, faith leader, and author of See No Stranger—A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love . Each of these women is mind- blowing and heart-healing, and I can’t wait to share the conversations and the new work that comes out of this timely and powerful coming-to- gether of creativity, collaboration and community. As we continue on this quest to find our flow (including the ebbs), I invite you to learn more about Heartistry , to
not hesitate to contact me if you, or someone you know, would be inter- ested in being a guest on the podcast or perhaps a future episode of the Heartistry Video Series . Follow & Contact Us on Instagram: @farahyasmeenshaikh @heartistrytalkshow @nooranidance FARAH YASMEEN SHAIKH is an internationally acclaimed performer, choreographer and in- structor, and Founder & Artistic Director of Noo- rani Dance. As a performer, Farah is known for her evocative storytelling, technical precision, delicacy and grace, with two decades of training from the late Pandit Chitresh Das, Farah has de- veloped a unique artistic voice, often address- ing topics of historical and social relevance, while also maintaining the classical elements of kathak. Farah performs her own traditional and innovative works, most notably, The Forgotten Empress, The Partition Project — based on the 1947 India-Pakistan Partition and Nazaakat aur Taaqat—A Delicate Power .
change, using their artistic mediums to promote the message or cause they are calling attention to. We see it in music, in film, and our favor- ite— dance. In these episodes of the Heart- istry Video Series , we are bring- ing together a powerful group of women-of-color artists from across the US. We honor and celebrate the work that they do to advocate for equality and justice, addressing issues through their artistic voice and movement. Taking a deeper look at how they engage in conversations, dance making and activism through performances, teaching and choreo- graphing - often spotlighting vari- ous systems of oppression such as racism, casteism, colorism, gender inequality, classism, religious divide and so much more - we will speak with each artist to understand and learn from their approach, their pro- cess and the outcomes.
64
in dance SPRING 2021 64
SPRING 2021 in dance 65
I
|
|
rs r
. r
In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n amp l i f y u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n a p l i f y
44 Gough Street, Suite 201 San Francisco, CA 94103 www.dancersgroup.org
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker