Discrimination

What we look like, what we say, where we come from, and what our norms are can provide information about who we are. Our identity is then revealed to an outsider. But the truth is, all of these things that are being observed at first glance are extremely superficial. When you grow up in a society where everything that is beautiful is everything you are not, you start to wonder about your self-worth. Today I stumbled upon this video and it resonated with me. The children in this video say they felt like dogs on a leash, and they felt like they were in prison when they were segregated from each other. It made me think about growing up as an immigrant's daughter and feeling alone. How can I belong? I remember asking myself as a little girl. I remember sitting in front of the television singing along to commercials and television shows. I wanted to get rid of my accent because it made me different. I wonder now if this had an effect on my development as a human being. I want to feel like myself in the days before I changed, but I can't seem to remember.

World Cup, Brazil, and her point of view

When I tell people I will be going to Brazil for research in dance they mention the World Cup. Of course! Who wouldn't? It's in everyone's mind. Well, everyone who likes or grew up watching soccer, like me. I was visiting a friends facebook page recently, and saw this video on her wall. I want to share it on our blog because it's a human being sharing her thoughts about the identity and representation of her country.

Salt Lake City at 4:00am

Dear Diary, 

Today was a good day, a fragile day...    uh, just kidding. 

Hullo there! My name is Rosa Lisbeth Navarrete and I started this blog with my partner in crime Robyn Anne Taylor. We are both embarking on project currently called, The Untitled Identity Project. Welcome to the madness. I am writing tonight from Utah. Today marks day six of my Laban Movement Analysis experience with Integrated Movement Studies. It has been very informative learning about movement qualities, forms, and shapes. I can't wait to use this knowledge for our film.

The last time I saw Robyn we were strolling together on the sidewalks of San Francisco chasing Amara Tabor-Smith's performers down the street. We had a small farewell after the "He Moved Swiftly..." performance on June 15th with our dear friend Mikhaila, who will also be doing a dance workshop in Brazil.

As of today, we know our documentary will have multiple themes, like: dance, gender dynamics, immigration, and the transition that occurs in the self through the process of assimilation. This project is also about our friendship, and what we discover about ourselves in the process of learning about movement communication.

Robyn and I have been friends for about two years now. This project holds a lot at stake for us as movers, writers, and researchers. We are recent UC Berkeley graduates, we are women, we come from different backgrounds, but we want to live life to the fullest and share our journey you.

Right now, our main goal is to raise money for our trip and hone down on our traveling plans. Follow our blog--follow our steps! See how you can help make this project come alive. More soon!

Last Moments

Yesterday was the last time that I will see Rosa until we meet again in Brazil. It was a very emotional day yesterday. I feel choked up right now thinking about it. Sometimes I feel like the floor is slipping out from under me and one of the only people who understands is a fellow transient and sister of the road. Rosa slept by my side in my most darkest of hours. She is a true sister.

This day was also emotional because I shared with my two dance sisters, Rosa and Mikhaila, the witnessing of our dance mother pouring her heart and soul into the city streets of San Francisco, where she hails from. Amara Tabor-Smith was celebrating the legacy of her dance teacher, Ed Mock. Even though we never had the honor of meeting him, he was all around us yesterday as we watched an incredible group of performers fearlessly address some of the most challenging issues our particular community faces. The wind was blowing strong all day, moving around trash in the street, causing goose bumps to rise, sifting street aromas with the ritual aromas used in the performance. And with the wind keeping us on our toes, Amara ended the five hour experience by speaking to all of us, saying: "the only constant is change."

"Homegoings: A dance" is a short film that makes use of contemporary dance imagery as a juxtaposed narrative to the fragmented stories brought to us by Harlem funeral director, Isaiah Owens.  The mournful music and dimly lit stage catch the nuanced movements of the Bill T. Jones' dancers. As we watch this man and woman intimately move together, we catch tidbits of stories about people passing on from this life. The first words we hear are: "In this life, it can be so rough that you want to go some place to get some rest." Something about the physicality of this relationship between these two dancers, asks us to think about struggle and loss. Within the complexity of losing someone we love comes the recognition that leaving this life is a way of going home.

Watch Homegoings: A Dance on PBS. See more from POV.

hiya

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...okay, we're on!