Dance is universal as is the feeling of belonging. It is one of the fundamental elements of human existence—belonging to a clan, a group, a society, a country, a family, a culture, or even a language. Our identity is shaped by these different layers of connection. Choreographer Roshanak Morrowatian’s work, Alphabets of Flesh, explores this theme deeply, focusing on the experience of diaspora. According to Britannica; diaspora refers to populations, such as members of an ethnic or religious group, that originated from the same place but dispersed to different locations.
Alphabets of Flesh is a dance performance narrated by two women yet it stands as a powerful symbol for many more. At first, we only see one woman on stage, but soon a second one reveals herself. Their bodies move with a weight that feels almost tangible—heavy like bullion, burdened with emotions that run high. They move from one place to another, spanning both literal and symbolic spaces. It is as if they are on a journey of self-discovery. They appear to be in search of something deep within themselves. We witness a clash of identities, a harmony of identities, and a constant quest for identity.
With the backdrop of music in Persian, the search for a motherland is ever present in every gesture. It is not just the physical land they are seeking, but all the memories, feelings, and attachments that define a sense of belonging. When we are displaced, where do we truly belong? Does the ache of homesickness ever disappear? At what point, if ever, do we become part of a new identity? What happens to our identity? Can it be lost, or is it merely transformed? Or, as human beings, do we simply adapt to wherever life takes us?
These are the questions that busied my mind as I watched Alphabets of Flesh. These are ‘hard to answer’ questions. It may be possible that I wouldn’t have these questions if I hadn’t read the booklet, but as I mentioned at the beginning, dance is a universal form of art, open to interpretation. This is how I translated the dancers’ movements: a reflection of heavy, unnamed emotions. I felt the weight of loneliness, despair, the need to belong, the search for self, the fleeting images of childhood, and the bittersweet memories of the past.
Two dancers expressed these complex emotions beautifully and harshly through their bodies. Their bodies, their gazes, their breath conveyed everything. I sensed that their identities remained suspended in a state of limbo, yet at the same time, there was a sense of acceptance. By the end of the performance, she pays tribute to her ancestors while also embracing her evolving identity, acknowledging the weight of her past, but ready to build on it.
Finally, a word about the music. The score was diverse, spanning a wide range of genres, and it perfectly complemented the intensity of emotions on stage. It helped to deepen the sense of searching, of feeling, of belonging. Cicek Isiksel Sonmez, at Frascati Amsterdam on 18th October2024