To give you a taste of what's to come in our online
New Speak Re-Imagined programme, our commissioned artists are here to tell you more about themselves and the work they are creating. Zara Janahi will perform three creative movement pieces, collectively called
The Perception of the World Through My Eyes.The Perception of the World Through My EyesI will be performing my three pieces as a solo.
The Perception of the World Through My Eyes is based on society today and the different factors that may or may not have a negative impact on our future. I aim to take the audience on a journey through my perception of today's society. I will encourage them to take action before it’s too late. The first piece will focus on climate change. Through movement I will portray the environmental issues the younger generation are facing. As young people we feel that we are carrying the weight of the world as a result of other people’s actions. Within my piece I will focus on the human species and the fact that we are affecting climate change in a negative way. Is time running out? The next piece will focus on women’s rights. I will revisit the past in order to remind the audience what women have been through with no voice and no rights. I will visit gender stereotypes that women and girls face daily. This piece will follow a timeline of where women used to be in comparison to where they are now - almost equal. The third and final issue I will focus on is the effect of mental health on the younger generation, this is a huge issue that young people are facing on a daily basis. I will show how we can be controlled by social media and technology while bringing the audience’s attention to the fact that it’s now how we live our lives.
I have been dancing, performing and competing for nearly 10 years with Ajendance Dance Company. I love the thrill of competing and have competed in many different competitions throughout the UK and Ireland. I have achieved top 3 rankings at UDO World Championships and All Ireland Championships in my crew, solo and duet. Ajendance Dance Company have given me so many performance opportunities, such as being part of Oona Doherty’s
Hard to be Soft production which we performed at Dublin Dance Festival, the Mac, Belfast and in Paris. I have also achieved my Street Dance teaching qualification through United Dance Organisations. Recently, my personal contributions to the Arts and my community have been recognised and I was awarded ‘Volunteer of the Year’ and ‘Young Person of the Year’ at The East Side Awards.
I teach part time for three different Dance schools across Northern Ireland and work as part of the creative team at Ajendance Dance Company. I also work with the social media team at 5678 Elite Dance Competition Ltd and Project Dance NI. I am assistant to the Creative Director of Dynamite Lifestyle. I teach dance to pupils in Ashfield Girls High School and have taken them to compete at various competitions throughout NI. In September 2020 I will take on a more permanent role as a dance facilitator within Ajendance.
This current commission for the Lyric Theatre has allowed me to develop a creative movement piece based around the themes of George Orwell’s
1984.
Zara Janahi (middle) pictured with Annika Graham (L) and Clare Montgomery (R) of Ajendance Dance Company.
New Speak Re-Imagined will feature over four episodes here and on our YouTube channel each Friday from 24th April.
Click here to find out more and watch the latest episode.