ARTIST STATEMENT
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Still by Yara Travieso
We are alive because we move. We move because we are alive. Movement is the very essence and perhaps definition of our existence. I have committed my entire life to the study of movement, first as a traditionally trained dancer, then as a committed cross-boundary performer, and now also as a dance/movement therapist. Movement is who we are; within and through our bodies is where and how all of our stories are held and told.
As an artist I am committed to the exploration of our stories in movement, and to the innate threads that exists between us as a result of our body stories. I seek to investigate how these stories are told and heard, investing in a horizontal, immersive, direct, authentic, and vulnerable relationships between us all as bodies in movement. I am interested in how dance and performance create kindred connections and perhaps new worlds as a whole within the very moment they happen; in how – with engaged presence, authenticity, and intention - a simple gesture or movement can hold profound meaning, a moment of eye contact can instantly and inextricably change us, and a brief glimpse of the lightest of physical connections can shake our entire systems. In the world of Dance Movement Therapy I am continuing this lifelong investigation, extending it and applying it towards the physical, psychological, emotional well-being of the other in a more concrete way, with a particular interest in using the powerful tools of this healing practice to address the inherent harms that exist within much of the professional dance world.