Conference of the Birds Community Workshop

Conference of the Birds Community Workshop

March 18, 2018 from 2-4pm

Led by choreographer and Artistic Director of ANIKAYA Wendy Jehlen, the Conference of the Birds Workshop is a story-gathering movement workshop open to all ages/levels, regardless of experience or ability. Workshop participants will dive into their stories, exploring what a story is, how we tell our stories with and without words, and ultimately find common narratives.

You are invited to move with an ensemble of dancers from across the globe and share stories about journeys, fears, and hopes through verbal, written, or movement communication. Elements of stories shared may be woven into the premiere performance in April. The dancers of ANIKAYA will guide participants in exercises that help us to listen to each other, to communicate in new ways, to move together.

We will use text, spoken language, drawing and movement to explore selected themes from the epic storyline of the Persian literary masterpiece The Conference of the Birds by Attar, a magnificent allegorical tale about the soul’s search for meaning that recounts the perilous journey of the world’s birds in search of divinity.

Dancewear is not required. Light refreshments will be provided. English fluency not expected or necessary. People with all bodies, abilities, and backgrounds are invited.

This project is supported by a generous Building Bridges 2017-2018 grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (DDFIA), a Live Arts Boston grant from The Boston Foundation, the Theater Communications Group, The Cricket Foundation, and the James K Spriggs Foundation (a Fidelity donor-advised fund).