Strange Weather
August 2019
Choreography, Filming, Dancing and Editing by Siranush
Camera Insta360 EVO for ~4 min 360-degree video.
First we danced, then we crawled, then we forgot how to dance and became sad, and now we learn how to dance again…
Me (in one of my first dancewears) and my beloved mom.
Crawl it.
I have been dancing since very young age, never being tired or shy. I attended the National Ensemble’s Dance Studio in the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Armenia along with Physical Mathematical School (then, I was asked by school officials to consider leaving the dance school for the sake of doing well at school, but me and my mom, who believed in me so much refused and proved them that I can do both and even more through doing well for the school's and country's prestige and International Science Olympiads),
At my first International Olympiad (in Astronomy, South Korea).
Dance it.
I participated in many summer camps and competitions for dance through "Iveria" Georgians Community in Armenia and other opportunities, won many prizes and performed everywhere, literally everywhere possible. When I was in other countries, I would temporarily join other dance troupes like Georgian National Ballet and others. I would not shy away from randomly dancing with the street musicians every evening I walk in the city, I would organize my own performances in all settings like ISO (International Science Olympiads) if there were not such opportunities already.
After graduation from Dance Studio (with Choreo Director on the left).
Stop it.
Then there was a period when mom had to leave and I lived alone. Then, unfortunately I did not have the time and resources to continue my path and I gained 20 kgs in a very short period of time which added a lot of complications to how I see myself as a dancer or a beautiful being. Then I have had developed eating disorder that happily has been overcome (at least then -- such things have tendency to come back at the down times). I tried to come back to dance but my body was not the same and I did not have enough courage to continue.
Rediscover it.
And so I felt one day when I heard this song suggested to me on Spotify. I have hundreds of those in my playlist of the songs which I want to choreograph the dance for "when I am fitter/better/stronger dancer". But that day I just decided to go to the most quintessential place that I could find and use nature as my accompaniator. The wind was my dance teacher correcting and shaping the ways I moved my arms and torso. The ground and little grass on it were my dance partners holding my weight on their shoulders as I would perform my movements. The trees and the river were the audience looking at me with their light reflecting and absorbing eyes -- eye-waves (on the river) and eye-leafs (on the trees). I would hear their appreciative and critiquing voices coming from their root-mouths and wave-mouths. My jury was, of course, the glorious building of MIT main campus, being still, with no sign of appreciation or disgust. The mere stillness and the fact it does not walk away (not that it can haha) or collapse would make me joyful -- thinking that it appreciates my gymnastics even though it may look foolish for such a serious and experienced, thoughtful mentor as MIT is. Under the light from the sky-lanterns, rendered by the gorgeous clouds on that day I felt all the attention of the stage on myself and was inspired to perform my humble improvisation. Little ants and other insects stepped away to give me space and did not interrupt as I would dance but each time I would sit down they would come and bite me so that I stand up and continue.
I truly believe that dance is very unique way of interacting with the world. It is not and shall not be competitive and can be definitely used as a cure for many things -- at least for me. It is a language, unique way of expression and sensation, something that is rooted in us and many other animals and maybe even simpler creatures or things. This is so deeply part of me that when I don’t have it I am sick. And even when I imagine the perfect future of human or any other intelligent race I immediately picture it in my mind as a convoluted self-orchestrated dance in between the stars and galaxies, as beautiful, sensual, perceptive as it can possibly be.
Contributors
Choreo and performance and editing by Siranush Babakhanova
‘Strange Weather’, a cover of the Keren Ann original, is a stunning collaboration between Anna Calvi and David Byrne