Suchi Branfman
Friday 18th July
19:50 - 20:20
GMT +1
Dancing While Caged, a ten-year choreographic residency inside a California State prison
Biography / Biografía
SUCHI BRANFMAN, choreographer/curator/performer/activist, has worked from the war zones of Managua to Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre and Kampala’s Luzira Prison to NYC’s Joyce Theatre. Branfman is currently in year eight of a ten-year choreographic residency inside a men’s-prison in Norco, California. She is Artistic Facilitator/Director of the Dancing Through Prison Walls project, choreographing and curating performance, film, and written works in deep collaboration with current and formerly incarcerated, and “free world” movers. Branfman is currently an 18th St. Arts Center/California Ars Council Creative Corps Fellow and Montalvo Lucas Artist Fellow, and Recess Arts Fellow, serves on faculty at Scripps College, is a community gardener, and prison abolition activist.
Abstract / Resumen
A presentation on the work of Dancing Through Prison Walls - dancing/teaching/choreographing/storytelling throughout a ten-year choreographic residency inside a medium-security men’s state prison in Norco, California. Sharing sustained movement strategies developed, and lessons learned, during the past nine years dancing and working with incarcerated dancers to build and maintain community through the pandemic, and beyond. Building on ideas of sustenance and care, creating in direct opposition to state violence and policing, what have we learned from our incarcerated collaborators? How and what have they taught us about the brave, radical act of dancing while caged?