A weed struggling out of a crack in cement an embodiment of giving & hope
A weed struggling out of a crack in cement, an embodiment of giving & hope wish to raise awareness to empathy and create a collaborative space of multi-sensory experience. It is the culmination of yearlong artistic research on the phenomenon of giving and is part of my MRes Choreography and Performance studies at Roehampton University, London.
How do we perform giving? How do we perform hope? How do we practice empathy?
The work is a negotiation game in the economics of giving from everyday life through rituals, focusing on Judaism, the religion I was born into. I argue that giving is circular by nature, cyclical and repetitive, in the physical and metaphysical world. The circularity of consciousness is necessary to create harmony; it is characterized by a circular pattern and the form of infinity 8.
During the year of research I worked with a group of dancers and musicians, using a movement language I introduced and developed further with them. The method and language are based on Gematria (an alphanumeric code using the Hebrew alphabet) as the compass of the individual and collective movement. The language is developed through improvisation and guided imagery relying on words, letters, and numbers.
A weed struggling out of a crack in cement is a microcosm of the giving economy: cycles of giving and receiving that form new relationships and simultaneously blur the identity of the creator, the performers, and the audience.
Who gives and what? Who receives and what?
We move / we reflect / we touch
The performance will begin with a collective gathering: sharing vegan appetizers based on the traditional Moroccan cuisine of my mother’s soul food and revisit childhood birthday games of giving and receiving. During the performance, the audience will be encouraged to engage and to take an active part. Together the work will transform into a ceremonial circle of giving and devotion.
Choreography
Tomer Dahan
Performers
Ashlyn Elizabeth Fletcher
Yujin Jeong
Eve Ariane
Tomer Dahan
Music
Amit Levy
DJ Liam Segal
YAKJEHTI MEIN Nicolas Jaar
Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Videographers
Anton Tal & Slava Kasilnikov
16.7.21 Berlin
#tomerdahandanceproject
Dear guests/audience, we would like to ask you:
+ Please come at 20:30 for a pre-show surprise.
+ Please come to our performance with a negative test.
+ Please bring fruit(s) or a flower(s) and a drink to share.
+ Please feel free to film short videos, insta stories, or use whatever social network you like. Be creative :) and use #tomerdahandanceproject
* After the performance I will make a Collage work/story, from my guests' perspective.
* At the end of the performance please take another story filming yourself answering the question: what did you take from today performance?
* The performance is limited to 30 people, please confirm your participation by email: [email protected]
We are excited and looking forward to share and to move with you.