primordial being(s)
WITH njkechi njaka
Image: Anna-Alexia Basile
This session includes a showing of primordial being(s), plus a talk.
When we understand that we are not dierent from the natural world, grief can be a powerful catalyst for change. This piece was presented at BAMPFA and Garrison Institute in July 2023. The BAMPFA showing was the rst piece presented in a larger program curated by KT Nelson titled: When the Landscapes Fall Away.
Drawing from Dr. Akomolafe's philosophy, the choreography will embrace nonlinear narratives, blurring the lines between past, present, and future. Movements will echo the circular nature of life, inviting viewers to contemplate the cyclical relationship between black grief and climate grief.
schedule
Intro (5 mins)
Practice (20 mins)
Talk about the practice (10 mins)
Q&A (10 mins)
required readings
Bayo Akomolafe, “The Hidden Curriculum of Consent” (5 pages)
Nafeez Ahmed, “White Supremacism and the Earth System,” resilience - (23 pages)
Jamie Marich and Terra Howell, “Dancing Mindfulness: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Emerging Practice,” EXPLORE 2015; 11:346-356 - (10 pages)
suggested screenings
Minna Salami, “Sensous Knowledge,” Lecture, Realisation Festival, 2021 - (25 mins)
Minna Salami, “Interview: Re-imagining Knowledge,” The Institute of Art and Ideas, 2021 - (32 mins)
Embodiment Matters Podcast: “Uncommon Considerations in the Anthropocene: A Conversation with Dr. Bayo Akomolafe.” - (1 hr, 12 min)
Bayo Akomolafe, “The Art of Repair,” Lecture, 2023 Resnick Aspen Action Forum - (45 mins)
writing prompts (optional)
INQUIRY:
What do you learn about the natural world?
Where do you feel separate?
When was your last migration?
What is your relationship with grief and belonging?
Where and when are you separate?
What does it mean to rely on your own individual awareness?
What does it mean to rely on the awareness of your neighbor?
What does it mean to cooperate and communicate effectively?
What if the way we respond to crisis, is part of the crisis?
What are your discarded materials?
What is a new way to act within the world?
Bio
Nkechi Njaka (she/her) is a practice-based researcher, neuroscientist, choreography artist, mindfulness expert/ meditation guide. She is the founder of The Compass, NDN lifestyle studio and co-founder of the sleep app DreamWell.
Her research intersects wellness, science, art and social practice. Through her work, practice and study, she discovered that mindfulness and creativity are crucial for sustaining individual and global wellbeing.
Nkechi is the co-host of the podcast Dating White and the other 1/2 of the music and mindfulness project RESONANCE.