How do you embody a culturally hybrid identity? How do you find a movement language that make the dialogue between different cultural influences visible without falling into clichés? These questions were at the heart of my 6-day, self-financed artist residency at Atelier Bick last week.
The aim of my residency was to rethink and express the fault lines and simultaneity of my cultural background – Indian-Pakistani and Swiss – through movement.
Topic and goal of the research
I wanted to examine how my cultural fragmentation and the history of migration and displacement are visible in my body. The focus is on the question: How can dance express the complex reality of a post-migrant identity?
Personal background and motivation
As the daughter of Indian-Pakistani parents who grew up in Switzerland, I am constantly navigating between different cultural codes. My body is an archive of these transitions - from ballet training in my youth, training in North Indian classical singing and Kathak dance form to my current contemporary dance training. This residency was an opportunity to consciously translate this multi-layered identity into movement and to explore the question of belonging and cultural representation.
Social context
My personal discussion reflects a broader social reality. In Switzerland, almost a third of the population was born abroad, and many children grow up with hybrid identities. Yet this reality is often not understood as the norm. The term "post-migrant" offers a new perspective by understanding diversity not as an exception but as the norm. It calls for us to question rigid binaries such as "Swiss" and "foreigner".
Movement as an expression of hybrid identity
Contemporary dance offers space to merge cultural influences and at the same time critically examine the question of authenticity and exoticism. My goal was to develop my own movement language that would be influenced by the rhythms, gestures and stories of classical Indian dance without falling into imitation. Instead, I tried to create something new through intuitive movements and dialogues with my body.
Approaches and methods
My work consisted of two phases:
Morning: Contemporary dance training inspired by online sessions with Russell Maliphant. Each session focused on specific aspects such as rotations, footwork or leg movements.
In the evening: An approach to dialogue with Indian dance and music traditions. Here I tried to create intuitive connections between my Western and Indian bodies.
From these processes emerged small studies and rituals in which I played with light, sound and video.
Documentation
I have initially captured the key moments of the research in six short videos. Each video shows an aspect of my research – from the dance study to the atmospheric interpretation.
I have a ton of video material that I haven't evaluated yet - maybe there will be more short clips that I will share on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Day 1: The line
Day 2: The legs
Day 3: The elbows
Day 4: The Pooja
Day 4: The spell
Day 5: The spiral
Conclusion and Outlook
This residency was the beginning of a big question that will accompany and inspire me for a long time to come: How can I translate my hybrid identity into movement and at the same time reflect the history of displacement and belonging through dance?
But the week was not only an artistic research, but also a personal challenge. It confronted me with fundamental questions:
How do I work when I am completely alone, in a kind of retreat?
When do I need structure and discipline, and when do I need an indirect, circular, playful approach?
How important are productivity and determination in a residency?
How do I deal with loneliness, and how do I take care of my well-being?
The answers to these questions were just as complex as the movement research itself. This time taught me how important it is to find a balance between control and letting go - both in my artistic practice and in dealing with myself. But also how important it is to exchange ideas with like-minded people in order not to get lost in your own circles of thought.
The residency was once again this strange and magical experience of groping in the dark. It left traces that I will continue to follow - not only on the dance floor, but also in my exploration of identity, culture and creativity.