Quietude

“Quietude” is part of a residency with SISU Compañía de Danza and ConnectArte Multidisciplinario Espacio. 

I was fortunate enough to be invited to set an evening-length work with SISU Compañía de Danza, an emerging contemporary dance company based in Tijuana, Mexico. Months after the invitation, the most catastrophic event in Israel’s history took place. Hamas, a terrorist organization that governs Gaza, declared war on Israel. They infiltrated the border, brutally slaughtered 1,139 Israelis in their homes, and kidnapped 253 back to Gaza (Israel Social Security Data). 

After living in Israel for three years, Israel was my home away from home. It felt like it happened to my family. I received the news by phone in the comfort of my apartment in California, where I had just returned two months prior. You would think that barely dodging it would relieve me, but instead, I felt guilt for not enduring what my dearest friends were and utterly alone for being around people who don’t empathize. Since then, I’ve noticed a profound shift in me. I began to pull away from others because I didn’t know what to say. I preferred to sit alone and for long periods. In these moments of silence, I created “Quietude.” The silence had this mysterious way of tormenting me by revealing my most potent emotions but also comforting me by holding the space for my internal turmoil.  While I may not be Israeli nor an immigrant of Israel, my connection to this land and its culture runs deep. The events of October 7th, 2023, shifted the very fabric of my being. Despite being in the United States when war broke out, the aftermath has left an indelible mark, altering my perspective on the world and my place within it.

Unable to shake the weight of what transpired in my beloved home away from home, I found solace and purpose in the creative process of “Quietude.” I was fortunate to work with dancers who may have not wholly empathized with how I was feeling, but they leaned in with their own stories. Our collaboration began as a conversation,  a journey of introspection into our past lives, and a reflection on the aspects that continue to haunt us. Together, we delved into the depths of these inner landscapes, stripping away the noise of external conflict and confronting the wars that rage within. We meditated on these vulnerable findings and reflected on what makes it all worth it - connection and harmony. Despite their fleeting nature, we discussed how they mysteriously appear in our lives and the spiritual impact they make. Together, we transcended these deep places from within and began physicalizing them in the body. 

Quietude is not just a dance. It is a crafted experience for the dancers to unleash their darkest secrets while holding the sacred space for these secrets to flourish unapologetically. It is a landscape of textures that evolves through the nuances of the dancers' relationships with one another, creating new meaning with each passing moment. It epitomizes the terror of something terrible happening and the peace that nothing has yet, resting calmly in quietude.