April 2021:
zavé martohardjono
My meditation, spiritual, and political education have helped me understand that as an individual, I can't control macro forces of oppression. Racism, colonialism, queer/transphobia will occur, recur, and find new manifestations with each generation. But self-work and self-examination cultivates awareness of how oppressions both manifest through my body and impact me. I can pause before I act and thereby shift, so I don't react in a conditioned way that perpetuates internalized oppression. And collective work -- art, activism, ritual, care for my communities -- is how I get to enact justice and re-wire oppression on the massive scale.
I have been practicing somatics for several years, but have been understanding it through other names: dance, listening, body-based practices. For a decade I worked in big political campaigns while also making performances that weaved together political education, improvised dance, and physical healing practices. In my campaign work, I became physically depleted as there was no space to be in my body and be with my spiritual understanding of justice and transformation. The past few years have been about shifting my life, to first and foremost take care of and listen to my body, and facilitate space for other bodies to process with me. Luckily I've found new work in political advocacy spaces that is kinder and more aware of activists' emotional and bodily needs.
Upcoming Classes:
My next series, Resiliency Motions, Decisive Actions is happening virtually on Mondays in May through Movement Research. You can register here: https://movementresearch.org/event/15854
I often have spontaneous invitations to offer these and other workshops, so I welcome if you're interested, to get in touch with me by email at zave@zavemartohardjono.com. I have a big performance project coming up in Spring 2022, a culmination of a series called TERRITORY, which I'd love to share with folks who are grounded in body-based activism. You can find some past iterations of this project documented here: http://zavemartohardjono.com/myportfolio/territory/
zavé martohardjono is a queer, trans, Indonesian-American artist living in Lenapehoking/Brooklyn. They use queer, de-colonial and anti-assimilationist dance, ritual, and performance practices to make work that converses with the political histories our bodies carry. Zavé has performed at the 92Y, The Kennedy Center, Bronx Museum of the Arts, El Museo del Barrio, Storm King Art Center, and elsewhere. They lead social justice strategy within the arts and for grassroots organizations. In the past, they’ve led artist initiatives with grassroots groups like FIERCE and Sylvia Rivera Law Project. Currently, they contribute towards anti-oppression work in the dance field as a Dance/NYC Symposium Committee member.