A work in process with my daughter, Lula Sharp, emerging contemporary dancer.
Artist Statement:
Lula Sharp uses dance as a way to connect with her ancestors in Brazil. In an effort to move away from technical dance training regimes, she draws from the practices of Brazilian indigenous methods of healing and trance. She uses her performances and research as a platform to engage with current social issues. Using the term post-colonial, she strives to situate herself among mixed-race women living in Canada and the implications this places on her creations. Being separated from her Brazilian family early in her life has guided her practice to unpack what it means to be Brazilian in a post-colonial era. Her work addresses the land that has been stolen from her ancestors. Her recent work of Saudade de Harakwa encompasses a longing for a homeland that is instinctively familiar and inaccessible. Through this performance, Sharp searches for this connection with her ancestors and homeland through her body; the compass that guides us home.
Current Work in Progress ‘The Gatherers’ with Laura Sharp:
Mother and daughter come together in a collaborative project that continues to explore connections and embodiment through relational ties. A work in progress, the two artists are working to capture and release energetic manifestations of multidimensional messages. Messages they discover through accessing and translating deep connections within the physical body.
