Did you think you were alone?
September 2021choreographed + performed by sophia tweed ahmad
commissioned by the Community Arts Healing Intiative x Regional Arts & Culture Council
photography/videography by Stephanie Yao Long
did you think you were alone?
Threaded stories of isolation, addiction, systemic pressure and violence, chaos and rage and surrendering bloom into trembling hands, vocal exhaustion, tense and expansive movements. An experiential reminder that we are never alone, always a collective. Amidst the waves, we will remember our interconnected nature. Choreography created using scores and improvisation.
Ten Tiny Dances® is dance performance in confined space, which often incorporates movement-based theater and spoken word. It challenges artists to invent ways to respond to the possibilities of 16 sq. ft. It interrupts the usual expectations for dance vocabulary, performance, and viewing, and affects the way people move and are perceived in space.
In this iteration, our 10 choreographers have listened to a dozen multi-generational Lents residents who shared their stories, experiences, and reflections about the last 18 months. They choreographed a Ten Tiny Dances® response to what they experienced through listening to these stories. In this way, artists, community members and audience alike have had the precious opportunity to share a diverse array of community-focused explorations of healing.
- Community Arts Healing Initiative x City of Portland 2021