(Left to right) Ragda Rima, Suzan Doumit, Farangis Nawroozi, Joanne Pang, Karolen Shlaimon in grass skirts up to their armpits. Photograph by Linda Luke
watching film rushes together, resting
important to introduce ourselves, and for
and performing task based work, like
the families to see their relative inside a
concentrating on the movements of folding
process and project.
clothes or watering a plant. Over time, the dance emerges – like a photographic paper
Each visit gave Martin and myself further
being dipped in solution. You slowly and
insights into getting to know the performers
gently agitate the environment and – over
as well. For example, the whole time we
time – the images emerge. The artwork (i.e.
knew Farangis, we thought she could not
the film) is the making of what happens.
speak beyond saying yes and no. Then we realized that she converses quite a lot at
DANCE DIARIES: WOODVILLE included
home in her first language (her family is
inviting family members to be filmed at
Persian). Or when we went to Suzan’s house,
their house, whereby the family member
we realized how independent she was. She
was filmed watching their loved one/ the
took charge of the situation by helping with
dancer, perform a short piece for them.
setting up camera equipment and organizing
Four of six families agreed to be filmed.
the space. Suzan told her 2 sisters not to
Martin and I felt it was an integral part of
help, but to watch. After this shoot with her
the film, given the overarching theme was
family, she was more pro-active in the studio,
one about home. But we also felt it was
which signified to us a growing confidence
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