Simik Komaksiutiksak, the choreographer of Anxiety is from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. They are the first artist from Nunavut to be programmed at the Guelph Dance Festival, so we are very excited to present their work for our ON THE STAGE series at River Run Centre. Don’t miss Anxiety on Saturday, May 31 at 8:00 PM.
Simik will also be leading a workshop on the Sunday morning – Meditation, stretch and workout for the Mind Body and Spirit which will be the perfect way to connect with yourself and others through movement on the final day of the festival.
Simik generously shares some insights into the contemporary dance work which stems from personal experience.
What motivated the creation of Anxiety?
My experiences as a queer Inuk growing up in the city was my initial inspiration for this piece. Reflecting on barriers I have faced in my life and how those experiences have caused me to have anxiety at times. Contemporary dance has always been an outlet for me to express my emotions when it wasn’t always possible through words, I want to amplify that experience and further extend it into my work. Rather than focusing on anxiety itself, this piece is inspired by healing our emotions through dance, breathwork, and movement.
How have collaborators informed your process?
The collaborators I have chosen to work with for this piece have all been close friends of mine throughout my life. It was important for me to tell this story with people that I love and trust, as in the beginning stages of creation I shared a lot of my own experience with generational trauma and other impacts of colonialism. Even though the initial idea of the piece came from these experiences and challenges I’ve faced, that’s not what the piece is about. In the piece the collaborators are telling their own stories and expressing their own emotions through their own experience with anxiety. During the creation phase of this piece the artists researched through improvisational movement led by Simik which was later set into choreography.
What do you hope the audience will take away from the work?
I hope the audience leaves feeling a little bit happier. I want the audience to find moments within the piece that they can relate to, or interpret their own perspective within the piece. The piece is very contemporary and has room to interpret what you see, I don’t expect people to totally understand everything within the piece, but if they could find even a few moments where they can relate it back to their own lives. Many people experience anxiety from different factors, my hope for this piece is to find a sense of belonging, connection and feeling a bit better when leaving.