Organization: Catching Mangoes Dance
Project: 2024 South and Appalachia Creative Placemaking Summit
Role: Session Facilitator
Dancing with Our Ancestors presented by Catching Mangoes Dance (CMD)
In this session, participants learned about the research and creative process for I’m sorry for your loss, a multi-dimensional dance work that examines grief, care for self and others, ancestral relationships, and explores cultural views of life and death. A short excerpt of the piece was performed to ground the session in this work.
An ancestral altar is a key element of the work grounding the piece in time and context. Participants were asked to reflect on their own ancestral relationships and honor them by contributing to a temporary community altar art installation. We provided access to a printer and basic art supplies for participants to craft an offering to honor their loved one.
Once the offerings were created, participants were invited to physically engage with the altar through improvisational movement prompts and walking patterns. the body and ultimately stir up the energy within and outside of ourselves. This session will be a chance to experience in real time how Catching Mangoes Dance is using dance as a creative placemaking tool.
Ellie Ayane 