| Makers | Roshanak Morrowatian and Mami Izumi |
| Duration | 60 min |
| Part of | Language no problem |
A poetic exploration of the body in diaspora
In the dance performance Alphabets of Flesh, choreographer and dancer Roshanak Morrowatian makes you feel what it is like to be a body in diaspora. Together with dancer Mami Izumi, she envisions the fragmented experience of time and space of people who have left their native land. The here and there and the now and then merge into memories and dreams.
What remains of your ancestry if you are displaced? What experiences – also from generations before you – are stored in your body? In a sensory journey, Morrowatian searches for the feeling of home. Where and with whom is home? Can your body be your home? Do you need the past to define the ‘now’?
Alphabets of Flesh creates a temporary home in which differences are embraced and uprooting is a source of strength.
Roshanak Morrowatian (Iran, 1989) obtained her BA in dance and MA in dance composition from Folkwang University of the Arts (D). She danced in the works of Marina Abramović, Pina Bausch, and Isabelle Beernaert, among others. In 2021, she founded dance company Rover together with Mami Izumi.
Rover creates interdisciplinary dance performances based on the fervent desire for a more harmonious society. Unnoticed details, invisible people and forgotten stories are given a leading role in our performances. With her performance Kites , for example, she gave a voice to refugee children and with House of Strength she transformed a male, Persian tradition into a paragon of inclusion. Her work has been awarded the BNG Bank Dance Award and the Dutch Dance Days Award, among others.
| Concept, directing and choreography | Roshanak Morrowatian |
| Performers | Roshanak Morrowatian & Mami Izumi |
| Final directing | Nilay Ceber |
| Composition & music | Rutger Zuydervelt |
| Light design | Loes Schakenbos |
| Video research | Laisvie Andrea Ochoa Gaevska |
| Scenography | Isa Kasten |
| Costume design | Mieke Kockelkorn |
| Art direction & photography | Afagh Morrowatian |
| Outside eye | Suzy Blok |
| Production | Stichting Rover |
| Co-production | ICK Dans Amsterdam, Korzo, DOX, Parkstad Limburg Theaters & Le Gymnase CDCN |
| Thanks to | Fonds Podiumkunsten, Provincie Limburg & Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, NORMA fonds, Gravin van Bylandt Stichting & Van Bijleveltstichting |
| Special thanks to | Korzo, DOX, Le Gymnase CDCN, Toneelgroep Maastricht, Toneelacademie Maastricht, Abbas Morrowatian & Mahnaz Heygharnejadi |
"Alphabets of Flesh is a dance performance narrated by two women, yet it stands as a powerful symbol for many more"
— Cicek Isiksel Sonmez for ArtsTalk Magazine
Korzo Zaal