"Proximity," choreographed by Grisha Coleman and curated by Joseph Zeal-Henry, questions our proximity to our diverted shared origins and their reconciliation as an opportunity for liberation through collective imagination.

Soundtracked by Ruff Sqwad, Inflo and others, "Proximity" utilises Black British music as a catalyst for connection between disparate geographies and forms of practice. In this context, sound works to mediate the world of movement and spatial design, creating a common ground for the formation of new narratives within the conception of the Black Atlantic. Celebrating the intricate ties between diasporic communities in Britain, the United States, and beyond, the choreography offers a translation of gesture that connects unacknowledged histories through the movement of synchronized bodies.

“Proximity” is the culmination of Zeal-Henry’s ArtLab residency. Through his SUPA-System project, he furthered his research into the praxis of visual and spatial culture and its inception in oral and sonic traditions. m. The choreography of Proximity exists in dialogue with the modular sonic sculpture with the SUPA System transforming throughout the performance.

The performance will be presented as a rehearsal continuum, suggesting that the performance much like the culture it is commemorating will continue to evolve and innovate and propel our continued collective journey. It is a meditation on the distances we have covered, detours we have traced and those spaces and systems we will reinvent anew.


Credits

Choreography: Grisha Coleman
Curation: Joseph Zeal-Henry
Dancers: Aiden Marshall, Marissa Molinar, Jennifer Roberts
Administration Support: Claire Lane
Production: ThunderRoad Studios
Photography: Malakhai Pearson