Georgia offers an in-process glimpse into her 50 hours of solo studio time during the Guelph Dance residency. She will share unfinished sketches, improvisations and journal entries that represent aspects of her embodied, prismatic journey into disillusionment and honesty. Drawing from authors who address violence, denial and grief, facilitation mentors who grapple with understanding conflict, her own pandemic observations, and adventures in parenthood, Georgia relies on the wisdom of movement, music and free-writing to help her integrate and give form to all the thoughts and emotions. For more insight, visit her process blog: georgiasimms.com
Georgia Simms’ 20-year dance performance career, both as a company member with Dancetheatre David Earle and as a freelance artist/choreographer, has taken her to different parts of Canada, France and South Korea. She has taught Graham-based modern technique as well as improvisation in a variety of contexts since 2005. These experiences in dance combined with her academic studies, in geography, governance and arts-based community engagement, inform her creation of embodied learning experiences for University of Guelph students in the First Year Seminar Program. She also weaves movement into group facilitation and program design for the organization, Art Not Shame. Georgia lives in Guelph with her partner, Adam, and their two-year old daughter.
Performer
Georgia Simms
Special Thanks
With gratitude for support, conversation and collaboration from: Evadne Kelly, Jordana Deveau, Jewels Krauss, Michelle Peek, Michael English, David Earle, Dan Charlebois, Catrina von Radecki, Rhea Merritt, Jen Weston, Rachel McQuail, Sarah Anderson, Elise LeGrow, Gregory Hoskins, Margie Simms, Adam Bowman
And acknowledgements to authors/thinkers/questioners who offer challenge and guidance:
Prentis Hemphill and the Finding Our Way Podcast @findingourwaypodcast
James-Olivia Chu Hillman @inquisitive_human
Cash Ahenakew and the Toward Braiding Series
Haruko Okano and the Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures Collective
Resmaa Menakem @resmaamenakem
Stephen Jenkinson and Nights of Grief and Mystery
Photo by Michael English