Question 1 ) What images have contributed to your engagement with ‘On Hold’?
While it doesn’t directly connect to our work in On Hold, something that has stuck with me throughout the process is the videos that surfaced during the pandemic that showed what happened to the natural world when humans stopped interfering. There was something so magical about the natural regeneration we witnessed– when humans let go of trying to manipulate the world they live in, beautiful things emerge like dolphins in the clear waters of the canals in Venice, Italy.
As Henry Havelock Ellis said “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and
holding on” which related to a prompt we were given by Dyana to set an intention for
what we are holding on to and what we are letting go of while we are dancing. I am
holding on to the joy I feel when on stage and letting go of the judgement I have about
myself and my body as it ages.
Question 2) As a founding member of Broken Rhythms, and therefore an original trainee
in the style of Rhythmical Contemporary, how do you describe or embody the style in
your dance?
For me, Rhythmical Contemporary is a partnership between the dancer and the music.
Traditionally dance pairs with and is led by the rhythm of the music, but in this style, it is
more of an exploration of what it looks like to move ahead, with, after, or not at all with
the rhythm. The music is not always the leader, rather one of two players at a
negotiation table – a twist on not only the traditional gender roles in dance (leader and
led), but also the traditional hierarchy of music dictating the movement. It’s in these
moments of disagreement that you find a beauty or elicit a feeling you might not expect.
Bio:
The daughter of two immigrants from Scotland and Aotearoa respectively, Naomi was
born in Okanagan Territory and raised in the unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking
people. A dancer since the age of 4, Naomi trained with local and international teachers
in jazz, modern, ballet and contemporary. Naomi is a founding member of Broken
Rhythms and performed in Spark!, Grim, and Seven before taking a 7 year hiatus to
work abroad and dance with the Douban Professional Dance Company based in
Jerusalem. Now back in Canada, Naomi is in her second year with a new generation of
Broken Rhythms dancers and excited to perform a second Broken Rhythms production
at the McPherson Playhouse.
See Naomi in Broken Rhythms upcoming production of ‘On Hold’
Premieres April 4 2025 at 7:30 PM McPherson Playhouse.
Broken Rhythms 