A Wellcome Collection commission.
An evening of pop-up dance performances by Deaf dance artists Anna Seymour and Raffie Julien. Responding to the 1880, THAT by Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader and Fingertalk by Cathy Mager exhibitions, Resist explores themes of trauma, rage, survival, language, and empowerment.
GLIMPSES OF WRESTLING – using the astronaut suit as a metaphor for carrying the burdens of history, Deaf collective trauma, and Deaf emotional labour of everyday life; contrasting this with the weightlessness of outer space – how we hold ourselves, how we can share the weight, hold each other, remove burdens, and invite more support, joy and awe into our lives and community.
THE EYE TRIP – In conversations about what resistance means for us – physically, politically, symbolically – we discussed resistance in Deaf history and pondered what the next resistance in the Deaf community will be. What will we revolt against? What is irresistible for us? An abstracted poem in the body, sitting in chairs and moving within a defined space reflecting the signing space used in sign langauge.
NEXT WHAT? – A quirky take of handshapes abstracted into movement. Using isolated handshapes from sign language to create choreography. Taking ownership of sign language, and exploring it’s poetics and history. What are we repeating? What are our new beginnings? Next what?
DEAF GISELLES – A recreation of the famous scene from the ballet Giselle, in which she dances herself to death. Deaf Giselles is a dance of horror, madness, and Deaf female rage. Honouring and invoking the ghosts of Deaf women in history. To counter the invisibility of Deaf women in history, we ask, who were they? What about our rage now?
