SASHAR ZARIF: "DANCING TO THE SOUND OF MY OWN BREATH"
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I wonder how many dances can you learn? And how is jungi different from clang? Choreographer, artist and researcher at York University in Toronto Sashar Zarif certainly knows about this. For over 25 years he has been traveling and dancing - what could be better? Recently, Sashar also visited Uzbekistan, where the purpose of his study was the Khorezmian dance of the lazgi. About what project Sashar created on the basis of dance, without which not a single holiday or custom has been in Khorezm since ancient times, read our material.
Art review: Where did you get your craving for traditional dancing?
Sashar Zarif: My ancestors are from Azerbaijan, so in the East I feel myself. For me, it is important to perceive this territory through my grandmother's stories, conveyed through music and dance. It was my grandmother's carpet that became my first scene. Then she was 97 years old, and I was 5. She talked about her father's house in Baku and the stories connected with it. This carpet has become a kind of transformation of the homeland. My grandmother sang songs, played a musical instrument, and after her death, for a long time, I was her ambassador. On stage, I felt like on this carpet. Soon I realized that I had to get out of my memories and find my way.
In Canada, where I now live, people have come to the conclusion that each person has their own roots, their own past, which they should not forget. Modernity is not a rejection of our roots, but a connecting thread from the past to the future. This is the right approach when you create new things based on traditions. I also try to convey this idea to my students.
"Sashar Zarif and Gunesh Khojakuli
Art review: Tell us about the project “Lazgi. Transformation".
Sashar Zarif: “Lazgi. Transformation ”is a dance project in the ethno-modern format. It is aimed at studying the Khorezmian dance lazgi, its origin and connection with modern Uzbek choreography. The general sponsors of the project were the Embassy of Switzerland in Uzbekistan, Sashar Zarif Dance Theater in Toronto, Bonum Factum gallery, the Embassy of Canada in Moscow and a number of government organizations of Uzbekistan.
ITo the sounds of the rubab, the viewer becomes a witness of the action depicted in the dance. The viewer decides for himself where it happens. It can be a hot desert, where life and death press and change each other, or a bare steppe, in which the howling wind whispers to you about the transience of life. The melody of the rubab flows like the waves of time, and the Khorezm folk song "Aisiram binavoyam" says that we are all prisoners of fate.
Art review: Sasha, and what musical instrument is it most pleasant for you to dance to?
In the meantime, there is no need to know about it. ”
Sashar Zarif: Under the sound of your own breathing. I feel comfortable when absolute silence reigns in the hall. You can completely immerse yourself in the world of dance.
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Art review: How was the selection of participants for the project?
Sashar Zarif: We were open to everyone - amateurs, beginners and professional dancers. I believe that every person has talent and it is necessary to reveal it.
The first stage took place in the spring of this year in the Khorezm region on the basis of the college of arts in Urgench, and also interviews were held with experts, historians and speakers of the folk dance clangs.
From 9 to 21 September, two-week master classes were held in Tashkent to help artists find their unique style. But still, this is a project, and we had a limited number of places. We selected ten children aged 18 to 30 from different cities and villages of Uzbekistan. The selection took into account the willingness of children to sacrifice free time and the desire to share their skills. Only boys are involved in the project, because historically the clangs were danced by men.
From September 23 to October 17, the work went on with the selected artists. During the production, I talk about the creation of the dance, my observations and research collected over 25 years. After each rehearsal with the guys, we discuss the shortcomings, consider how it is more interesting to present the material. And soon, from 18 to 23 October, open screenings will be held in Tashkent and the Khorezm region. We are looking forward to this and are happy to present the fruit of our labor to the audience.
Art review: What difficulties did you face while implementing the project?
Sashar Zarif: I call any problem a test, and time became the main one. In addition to rehearsals, the participants have their own things to do, but they completely devoted themselves to the project and did their best for the benefit of what they love.
It is important for me when the project is not short-term. “Clanks. Transformation ”was originally planned not in the format of master classes, when people are just beginning to understand the essence of what is happening, but they have to disperse. In Uzbekistan, as in the rest of the world, the result is important. For me personally, the process is much more valuable. He promotes professional growth and will help children in the implementation of new projects.
With the participants, I immediately easily established contact. The language of the dance is generally understandable. The entire image is guessed by subtle movements. And the Azerbaijani language turned out to be close to the Khorezm dialect, therefore there were no roughnesses or misunderstandings in the production process.
Art review: In neighboring Kyrgyzstan, you did the Omur project. Tell us more about it.
Sashar Zarif: The first time I came to Bishkek was in 2013. I had the opportunity to work with a famous musician, performer of folk songs Nurak Abdrakhmanov. He masterfully played the komuz Kyrgyz instrument. I was just mesmerized by his hand gestures and artistry.
When creating the project, we visited cemeteries, went to the mountains and learned about the life of the people. This was especially evident in the study of lullabies. They are sung with such soul and trepidation that we have put them in the basis of the project. Later I got to know the Ustoz Shogird ensemble, which studied traditional Kyrgyz music. And together with them, we made a project dedicated to the Kyrgyz national culture.
Art review: When you give master classes or conduct similar projects, you act as a teacher, not a dancer. How do you feel as a teacher?
Sashar Zarif: I am not on the other side of the process, but included in it on a par with the participants. I don't have a prepared plan of action for them. I dance with my guys, I become a part of them. Once at a rehearsal, I gave the guys an example that if you want to become a good parent, you can raise a child not by your moral teachings, but by actions. If the father says one thing and acts completely differently, he will never become an example for the child. It's important to be patient here.
Art review: Are you a patient person?
Sashar Zarif: No (laughs). I try to be him, but it all depends on the situation. I can say for sure that my mother is a patient person.
Art review: Sasha, have you ever had moments when you wanted to quit dancing and do something else?
Sashar Zarif: Yes, every day (laughs). Of course, such thoughts visit me. I would like to drop everything and settle in some place, to have constancy in life. For over 22 years I have been traveling the world, but I dream of buying my own home in Canada, where I can calm down and take root. But then another part of the soul exclaims that this is not necessary! By the will of the Universe, I am a nomad in my soul, and wandering for me is life itself.
Art review: What's the purpose of your life?
Sashar Zarif: All our lives we have been asking ourselves the questions "What will make me happier?", "What will be better?", "What is my main goal?" Now I am 51 years old, and I realized that there are no answers to these questions. You need to live here and now, enjoy the moment. The journey itself is important for me, in which I can know myself. This is the purpose of my life.
Dance has a deep relationship with nature. The more we move away from nature, the faster we lose it. Of course, living like five hundred years ago is impossible, but you need to be proud of the culture. To bring back the essence of dance is in the power of dancers like Sashar Zarif and his students.
Alina Zdobnikova