Dance as Activism: Dancing on Our Own—Bodies for Justice

Friday, May 22, 2020 at 12:00pm
Center for the Arts website

Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 12:00pm
Center for the Arts website

Experience new works created remotely by students in Dance as Activism (DANC 379), taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Joya Powell. Featuring works by Kisanet Bezabih ’20, Gita Devi Ganti ’21, Mosab Hamid ’23, Charissa Lee ’23, Helena Sanchez ’21, Sophie Sharp ’23, and Maren Westgard ’22. Integral students in our class experience and processes also include: Sophie Brown ’22, Angela Duong ’21, Gabe Hurlock ’20, Rodrigo San Roman ’20, Nigel Smith ’20, and Shirley Sullivan ’21. Videos, photos, and program notes will be available to view below on Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23, 2020 and will remain available to view through Saturday, May 30, 2020.

 

Program

 

(Note: Photo stills selected from video)

(Green) New Deal
Choreographer and Dancer: Maren Westgard
Videography: Maren Westgard
Props, Costumes, Audio Editing: Maren Westgard
Music: “Which Side Are You On?” by Pete Seeger; “Which Side Are You On?” Megan Slankard and Lia Rose; “Does It Weigh On You?” sung by Sunrise Movement Pennsylvania (originally composed by Florence Reece).
Soundbites: The Dust Bowl; Quotes from Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and news announcers; Quotes from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Varshini Prakash, and various Sunrise speakers. 

My work, entitled (Green) New Deal, draw parallels between the similar crises and responses in the 1930s and today. After learning about the economics similarities between now and the crash of the 1930s, as well as the response to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, I wanted to show the similarities between the solutions in addition to the problems. In the piece, dance represents the resilience and unity behind the (potential) solutions to the crises: the New Deal and the Green New Deal. —Maren Westgard

 

 

(Note: Photo stills selected from videos shared on TikTok. For more information follow @danceasactivism on TikTok)

POC on TikTok, Kisanet Bezabih, Helena Sanchez, & Mosab Hamid
Videographer: Respective dancers
Styling: Respective dancers
Page Editing: Kisanet Bezabih

OUT WEST
Choreographer: Nicole Bloomgarden
Dancer(s): Helena Sanchez, Kisanet Bezabih, & Mosab Hamid
Music: OUT WEST, JACKBOYS & Travis Scott

Say So
Choreographer: Haley Sharpe
Dancer(s): Helena Sanchez, Kisanet Bezabih, & Mosab Hamid
Music: Say So, Doja Cat

Renegade
Choreographer: Jalaiah Harmon
Dancer(s): Helena Sanchez, Kisanet Bezabih, & Mosab Hamid
Music: Lottery, K Camp

Renegade
Choreographer: Jalaiah Harmon
Dancer(s): Jada Jenkins, Korey Jenkins
Music: Lottery, K Camp

Savage
Choreographer: Keara Wilson
Dancer(s): Jan Carlos Pinales, Jesse Salas
Music: Savage, Meg Thee Stallion

Cannibal
Choreographer: Sophie Assefa
Dancer(s): Sophie Assefa
Music: Cannibal, Kesha

Say So, Version 2
Choreographer: Semeret (@africanhoney)
Dancer(s): Neena Perez-Rojas
Music: Say So, Doja Cat

OUT WEST
Choreographer: Nicole Bloomgarden
Dancer(s): Kisanet Bezabih, Jumoke McDuffie-Thurmond
Music: OUT WEST, JACKBOYS & Travis Scott

Say So
Choreographer: Haley Sharpe
Dancer(s): Kisanet Bezabih, Jumoke McDuffie-Thurmond
Music: Say So, Doja Cat

Countdown Challenge
Choreographer: Tsompa The Goat
Dancer(s): Jan Carlos Pinales
Music: Countdown, Beyonce

Get Silly
Choreographer: Hermona Hadush
Dancer(s): Hermona Hadush, Hibak Hassan
Music: Get Silly, V.I.C

Sugar
Choreographer: Jalessa (@theofficial.jale)
Dancer(s): Mosab Hamid, Stefano Amador
Music: Sugar, Brockhampton

Lilman Anthem
Choreographer: DJ Lilman
Dancer(s): Jada Jenkins, Korey Jenkins
Music: Team Lilman, Dj Lilman

OUT WEST
Choreographer: Nicole Bloomgarden
Dancer(s): Jan Carlos Pinales, Eugene Smith, & Liana Samson
Music: OUT WEST, JACKBOYS & Travis Scott

Say So
Choreographer: Haley Sharpe
Dancer(s): Hermona Hadush, Merone Hadush
Music: Say So, Doja Cat

Lilman Anthem
Choreographer: DJ Lilman
Dancer(s): Jan Carlos Pinales, Eugene Smith
Music: Team Lilman, Dj Lilman

Savage
Choreographer: Keara Wilson
Dancer(s): Kisanet Bezabih
Music: Savage, Meg Thee Stallion

No Idea
Choreographer: Hermona Hadush
Dancer(s): Herona Hadush, Adriana Hernandez
Music: No Idea, Don Toliver

Uno, Dos, Tres
Choreographer: Tony (@tx4)
Dancer(s): Jan Carlos Pinales, Eugene Smith, Liana Samson, & Alberto Encinas
Music: Roscoes, ZaeHD & CEO

Say So
Choreographer: Haley Sharpe
Dancer(s): Kisanet Bezabih, Senai Assefa
Music: Say So, Doja Cat

The Box
Choreographer: unknown
Dancer(s): Simon Assefa
Music: The Box, Roddy Rich

Get Busy
Choreographer: Charlie D’amelio
Dancer(s): Jan Carlos Pinales, Eugene Smith, Liana Samson, & Alberto Encinas
Music: Get Busy (Shake That Thing), Sean Paul

Rockstar
Choreographer: @xmiller10 & Ayiana (radical420dudee)
Dancer(s): Kisanet Bezabih
Music: DJ Yames Mashup 7 (includes Rockstar)


Kisanet, Helena, and Mo were intrigued by skyrocketing popularity of the social media app TikTok. In particular, they observed the phenomena of “TikTok Dances” that feature snippets of clever choreography, the most popular of which had been to K Camp’s “Lottery,” which was popularized by megastar TikTok-er Charli D’amelio. There’d just been an article published by The New York Times about the misplacement of credit to Charli from the actual creator of the dance Jalaiah Harmon. The group, noticing that this instance of POC on the app be outshined and uncredited by their white counterparts for their choreography, decided to create our own TikTok account. The account would be dedicated to showcasing POC dancing to choreo and crediting the proper choreographers in an attempt to offset the algorithm which many have noticed to “shadowban” or downplay videos made by creators of color. We reached out to POC in our respective circles to send in videos of themselves dancing, which, unexpectedly also became an act of community engagement as the COVID-19 Pandemic developed and apps like TikTok were among the only ways for us to engage with each other and just dance! —Helena Sanchez, Kisanet Bezabih, & Mosab Hamid

 

 

Sejarah Hitam Kita
Choreographer and Dancer: Charissa Lee
Voiceover: Charissa Lee (Voice) and “Sejarah Hitam Kita” 
(https://sejarahhitamkami.tumblr.com/)
Videographer/Video Editor: Charissa Lee
Audio Editor: Charissa Lee
Costumes Design: Charissa Lee

Content Warning: This performance contains graphic verbal and visual descriptions of sexual abuse.

Sejarah Hitam Kita means “our dark history” in Malay, the national language of Malaysia. This project is about the pervasiveness of child sexual abuse in public schools across Malaysia. From my research, I realized that there were three major factors contributing to the perpetuation of this issue: the lack of sex education in public schools, the failure of the current legal system, and the leniency with repeated sex offenders. The text heard throughout the piece is a collection of anonymous survivors’ stories that can be found on the blog page of the same name. I was inspired by the bravery of these survivors, which is why I wanted to use my platform to amplify their stories. —Charissa Lee 

Please Note:
Wesleyan’s Office of Survivor Advocacy and Community Education (SACE) is dedicated to empowering survivors, and those connected to survivors, of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and other forms of interpersonal violence through survivor-centered, trauma-informed advocacy services, healing workshops and retreats, trainings, and education programs within the Wesleyan University community. The SACE Director, Johanna DeBari, serves as a confidential advocate for survivors of interpersonal violence, by sharing information about their options towards healing, and support in accessing those options if needed. She can be contacted at jdebari@wesleyan.edu or 860-685-3214, and her office is located in the Davison Health Center, room 218. Please visit the SACE Office website: www.wesleyan.edu/sace.

 

(Note: Photo stills selected from full-length video.)

How Shadeism Manifests in Society: An Embodied Narrative of Bharatanatyam
Choreographer and Dancer: Gita Devi Ganti
Costume Designer: Gita Devi Ganti
Videographer/Video Editor: Gita Devi Ganti
Music: Instrumental Track from TEDx Talk Newton’s Third Law of Karma: MAYA - Innovative, Nagumomu Ganaleni by Tyagaraja, Lambada De Manmohini by Dr. Srimix

My piece focuses on shadeism, or the act of discrimination based on skin color from usually a community of members within the same race. While shadeism persists in all minority groups, I have chosen to focus on the perspective of a South Asian American girl and use my own personal experiences to craft this story. The saga is broken down into four parts, which are represented by the four different colors the dancer wears. In the introduction piece, the dancer wears black and white and moves to an instrumental track. The choreography of this dance aims to illuminate how women are often depicted as dainty and weak in mass media, which impacts how young girls understand what it means to be a woman in society. The light, dainty movements are contrasted with rigid movements to demonstrate the ferocity and strength that are characteristic of a true woman. This piece sets the stage for the lessons the dancer will learn in the three parts that follow. In the second piece, the dancer wears blue. Accompanied by the track Nagumomu Ganaleni by Tyagaraja, the dancer applies makeup and puts on jewelry while looking in the mirror. She can’t seem to appreciate what she sees in the reflection. She applies more makeup until she is unrecognizable to her own self. The dancer ultimately leaves in a melancholy mood as she is unable to embrace her outer beauty. In the third piece, the dancer wears yellow and continues dancing to the aforementioned song. The dancer ponders why the story of the Ramayana, a Hindu scripture, upholds shadeist notions as it depicts the noble king Rama who embodies goodness and purity as light-skinned while it illustrates the evil king Ravana as dark-skinned. She questions why this distinction of skin color is made in the story. She questions why her family and peers are not angered by this ridiculous purposeful difference. She begins to wonder if she should reject her own religion because of how it strays from her own fundamental beliefs. In the last piece, we return to choreography that attempts to demonstrate the stark contrast between gracefulness and rigidity, as accompanied by the song Lambada De Manmohini by Dr. Srimix. The dancer has learned that society will always feed us notions that are unethical. We must look within ourselves to discover our values and then make an effort to express these ideas to our peers so that we can change what values pervade in our society. The green apparel that she wears in this piece represents her changed self as she has learned lessons both from the time that she was both blue and yellow. While shadeist practices endure and she continues to bear witness to them, she understands how she can be a force of social change. —Gita Devi Ganti

 

 

 
(Note: Photo stills selected from full-length video.)

Digital Quarantine
Choreographer and Dancer: Sophie Sharp
Videographer/Video Editor: Sophie Sharp
Lighting Designer: Sophie Sharp
Costume Designer: Sophie Sharp
Audio Editor: Sophie Sharp
Music: Ribs Instrumental by Lorde
Voice Over: Sophie Sharp reading excerpts of poems: And Yet, on Some Nights by Ilya Kaminski; Turing Test by Franny Choi; Rimrock by Kaveh Akbar; I Am Always Trying To Make My Poems Timeless by Olivia Gatwood; Notes Regarding Happiness by Matthew Olzmann; A Portrait of the Reader with a Bowl of Cereal by Billy Collins; and a line from the book Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

My project was surrounding the disruptive and overwhelming nature of technology, particularly during this pandemic as we spend more and more of our time consumed by screens. I intentionally made the projection chaotic and focused on distractions that are familiar to Wesleyan students such as Wesmaps, The Great British Baking Show, Zoom, Instagram, Gmail, and more. The audio is meant to further emphasize the feelings of emptiness that are associated with the digital age. —Sophie Sharp


COURSE DESCRIPTION
DANC 379: Dance as Activism: How does art effect change? Why does the phrase “social movements,” include the action word - movement? In what ways does dance instigate action as a means of resistance? This course is an investigation into these questions through both lecture/discussion and embodied practices. It will look at various choreographers whose work is rooted in grappling social justice issues, choreographic and community engagement tools, as well as protests as choreographed performance art. All course work and inquiry will lead up to a final project wherein students create their own choreographic sketch/community engagement using the language of dance/performance art, as the foundation for addressing a particular historical or present social issue of their choice.

A note from Professor Joya Powell
I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity and privilege to facilitate the Dance as Activism course this semester with this particular group of grounded visionary students. Their journeys as artists, as activists, as artivists has been truly impactful to witness. Their work, albeit different from what they originally envisioned at the beginning of the semester, is powerful and purposeful and are deeply rooted gifts in this moment we are navigating as a global society. Congratulations.



DANCE DEPARTMENT FACULTY & STAFF
Pedro Alejandro, Associate Professor of Dance
Patricia Beaman, Artist in Residence
Katja Kolcio, Chair/Associate Professor of Dance
Hari Krishnan, Associate Professor of Dance (on sabbatical)
Susan Lourie, Emeritus
Chelsie McPhillimy, Lighting Designer
Michele Olerud, Administrative Assistant
Marcela Otéiza, Associate Professor of Theater
Joya Powell, Visiting Professor in Dance
Iddi Saaka, Artist-in-Residence
Urip Sri Maeny, Emeritus
Nicole Stanton, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Dance

CENTER FOR THE ARTS STAFF
Rani Arbo: Campus and Community Engagement Manager
Kyle Beaudette: Assistant Director of Events and Ticketing
Jennifer Calienes: Interim Director
Charles Carroll: Assistant Technical Director/Scenery Specialist
Benjamin Chaffee: Associate Director, Visual Arts
Andrew Chatfield: Director, Arts Communication
Fiona Coffey: Associate Director for Programming and Performing Arts
Jennifer Diglio: Accounting Specialist
John Elmore: Art Director
Joseph Fonseca: Technical Associate
Drew Gray: General Manager
Tony Hernandez: Assistant Technical Director
Robyn Joyce: Manager, Patricelli '92 Theater
Rosemary Lennox: Exhibitions Manager and ICPP Program Manager
Ellen Maurer: Freelance Designer
Hanna Oravec: Assistant Director for Programs
Robert Russo: Assistant Technical Director / Sound and Video Specialist
Suzanne M. Sadler: Technical Director/CFA Theater Manager