Haya

Being half Arabic by origin (my mother was born in Lebanon and fled to Israel), my body always wants to move through my hips and belly, in ripples and twisted- fast movements. A year ago I started researching Belly dance (by encountering the fascinating book Belly Dancing by Wendy Buonaventura) and got inspired by the stories. One of those was of priestesses in ancient India evoking fertility as a religious duty through belly dance.

I want to focus on the question of female existence and my role in society. As a female I try to find new ways to express my being and give a new meaning to life. I go back and forth through past biological memories which I carry through the course of life. My hips are guiding me in the journey of connecting to my ancient meaning in order to find my new form of femininity.

We all cope with internal dilemmas as we are trapped in lost meanings of existence. Procreation was the female meaning from ancient times, the reason for living. However, after rapid population growth, modern lifestyle, individuality, and more,  she is faced with many questions. What is her new reason for existence?
Haya is a dance documentary film based on a live dance performance experience. The film is following a female questioning modern society’s approach to the biological clock. With her most intuitive dance moves, she is calling her ancestors to evoke her meaning. Exposing and counseling her core, she allows her belly to exist and transform into different beings. This perspective is creating a unique result of storytelling. Allowing the audience to get an intimate look at the female performers’ journey.

Credits:

Daniel Barkan: concept, choreography and performance/ Guillaume Versteeg- Promotion picture and video/ Enrico Meijer: Composer/ Danique Jongbloed: Creative producer/ Michelle Vossen: Fashion advisor/ light design: Guus Broeren

Supported by: Janivo, Talentontwikkeling Gelderland.Special thanks to: theater aan de Rijn, dance collective Arnhem meisjes, Studio Etangs Noirs, De Generator theater