Sami reclamation on 1,000 liters of soil
Live music, spoken word and eclectic dance reminds us of the body’s quest to be free.
The choreographer Marit Shirin Carolasdotter’s artistic work is characterised by her bond with the past and present of indigenous peoples. With Sami roots from Jämtland and a Kurdish Iraqi background, she addresses the Sami oppression and the despotism that most affects indigenous peoples.
Her first full-length work, of itself : in itself, is a personally charged performance featuring dance, music and a type of poetry slam. The contributions of spoken word artist Juvvá Pittja bolster the political weight of the show. Whilst his words highlight the Sami struggle, the dancers’ energy-intensive and ultimately exhausting choreography represent the pursuit of the right to their own bodies.
A compelling piece unfolds as the dancer’s feet, on a stage submerged beneath 1,000 litres of soil, explore physical memories passed down from previous generations, mapping out the ancestral knowledge rooted within us, an echo of the oppression our forebears endured.
Marit Shirin Carolasdotter
Choreographer
Marit Shirin Carolasdotter is a choreographer and dancer based in Umeå. She has a master’s degree in International Performing Arts from Stockholm University of the Arts, and since her education at the then DOCH 2015 she has worked as a dancer in Belgium, Austria, Japan, Germany, Greece, Denmark and Iceland.rnrnThrough her research, practice and international collaborations on her long-term project Humans & Soil, Shirin has immersed herself in our relationship to the soil we walk on and the rights we have over our bodies. Her work is uncompromising, elaborate and painfully precise.
Credits
Choreographer: Marit Shirin Carolasdotter
Dancers: Linnéa Sundling, Sebastian Björkman
Music, sound: Nina Nordvall Vahlberg
Text, dramaturgy: Juvvá Pittja
Artist: Kanako Uzawa
Lighting: Erik Wiedersheim-Paul
Costume: Anna Ardelius
Film teaser, behind the scenes: Sebastian Saury
Photo: Andreas Nilsson
Portrait photo: Robin Jalmén
humansandsoil.com
The project is an exchange between Swedes, Sami and the Ainu people from northern Japan.
Co-produced by: Norrlandsoperan, Dansinitiativet and Dansnät Sverige
With the support of: Dance in Västerbotten, Saami week in Umeå, Riksteatern Hallunda Dance residence 2020, Dansnät Sverige, Dansens Hus, the Swedish Arts Council, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee, the Saami Council, Region Jämtland/Härjedalen, and Jokkmokk Municipality
Tours with Dansnät Sverige spring 2022
For ecological reasons all travels will be by train.
