Mapping My Movement: A Reflection on Two Years of Performing Art Practice
Over the past two years, as I’ve delved deeper into my studies, I’ve experienced a transformation in my approach to performance and dance. In total, I’ve performed and created dance in ten instances, each one a deliberate exploration of new directions. These moments have become a new chapter for me, a shift away from the strictly choreographed dances I once conceived, where the focus was on movements, costume, and stage design. Now, my dance has evolved into a reaction to the places and events I encounter, serving as a personal reflection of my time spent in those spaces. I’ve come to see this as a form of poetry in motion, a way of finding balance within myself and in the space I inhabit.
Each of these performances has a unique story, a story that encapsulates a place, a feeling, a moment in time. At the Botanic Gardens, for example, I sought to interact with nature in an inverted way, embracing the trees, wrapping my legs around their trunks to mimic the stillness of the roots. At the Japanese cemetery, my movements in a traditional kimono were an homage to the young girls who were sold into slavery and perished far from home. The dance became a quiet mourning, a symbolic embrace of their memory.
In the Asian Museum, I explored the profound Greco-Indian fusion of the Gandhara civilization, where the image of Buddha first emerged—a bold and striking artistic innovation. At the National Gallery, the surreal orange canvases hanging from the ceiling inspired me to calm the space with a gothic and serene movement. Then, at an exhibition I had only an hour to explore before it closed, I found myself moved by the story of a goddess and a small boy from an ancient legend, creating a dance to bind their myth together.
The park with the dragon mask was a particularly challenging moment, as it was my first experience performing with such a cumbersome and restrictive mask. But it pushed me out of my comfort zone, making me rethink how to move and perform when your vision is obscured and your body encased in fabric. Similarly, at the Museum of Musical Toys, I played with the idea of using a red cloth, which I saw as a symbol of a dragon, to create a visual and emotional connection with the artwork.
In Uzbekistan, the National Museum of History left me awestruck by its space, and though I had only one opportunity before we were asked to leave, I managed to create a brief interaction with the architecture. The Japan exhibition allowed me to plan my movements with deeper intention, engaging with the history I had imagined for the display, and even creating my costume from inspiration and leftover materials in the space.
Lastly, my project “The Frog Princess” awaits its final assembly, as I plan to weave together several identities and themes captured during filming in the bamboo forest. This performance will be a synthesis of the diverse worlds I’ve encountered and transformed through dance.
What started as carefully planned choreography has evolved into something more spontaneous and connected to the world around me. Every performance has been an opportunity to reflect on my inner balance and how I relate to the space I inhabit.
As I move forward, I’ll continue to let the places I encounter influence my dance and creative process. From structured routines to more organic, site-specific movements, my work has opened up new possibilities. “The Frog Princess” will bring together all the different ideas and experiences I’ve gathered over the past two years. This project will mark the next step in my artistic journey, showing how dance can transform both the performer and the audience.
I now feel more equipped to navigate what comes next, grounded in the understanding that my practice is a continual evolution. This shift has not only expanded my creative horizons but also deepened my connection to the spaces I engage with. Each performance has become a reflection of my inner world, a dialogue between the past, present, and future of my artistic journey. With this newfound clarity, I embrace the uncertainty of what lies ahead, knowing that it is within this space of flux and transformation where true creativity thrives.
