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THE PROCESS

The Core Collective (from Top Left, counter-clockwise): Sheila Miles (Writer), Hannah Archer (Choreographer), Mani Yangilmau (Writer), and Elizabeth Ung (Director/Facilitator)

The process for this collaborative venture begins with a simple but loaded question: What are the ways we walk and talk with grief? Beyond the scope of analyzing the Western-focused "stages of grief," the generative process imagines poetry and movement through echoing and responding---a writer creates a prompt for the visual artist to draw; the visual artist draws in response and the choreographer devises movement in response to the response. The end of the response returns to the writer to establish a library of poems, monologues, and other creative writings.

The Showcase team selected a few of the established writings for the direction and Choreography to create a small preview of what a full-scale production could realize. From the choice of the color scheme of the costumes, the characters, and the tone---each step is talked through collectively.

While the project is on the "backburner" for now, there is intention and possibility for the Choreopoem theatrical experience to change, grow, and find a home for whatever space can uplift the voices of the underrepresented in movement through Grief.