Choreographer, performer, scholar, teacher and producer Dr Laura (Amara) Osweiler’s research is based upon sharing and expanding her current practice beyond herself. Her project builds upon her 30 years as a Traditional and Contemporary Middle Eastern Dancer and current choreographic and performance practice that interweaves dance, movement, film, music, audio description and health and employs communication technologies to support access and engage with audiences in different locations.
During her 2022 Critical Path Research Residency, Laura will spend time exploring cataplexy, a part of narcolepsy where muscles release and the mind and body are on different parts of the spectrum of awake and asleep. She will share her dance and story by including outside voices into her processes as sounding boards, foster engagement with digital dance and the disability sector and develop community around shared interests of daily dance.
Working with producer and director Paul Osborne and international circus and physical theatre performer and audio describer Sarah Houbolt, Laura has been unpacking the physical experiences of her phases of Cataplexy. This led to exploring themes of isolation, interruption and disruption, Crip Time and Space, body knowledge, types of memory, forms of consciousness and perceptions of the self.
Through movement, lighting, dance bungee rigging, music, audio description, autobiographical narrative and audience interaction, Laura will dance and tell her story.
Laura incorporates live streaming experiences in her practice, you can follow her on Facebook or Instagram for more.
Dr Laura (Amara) Osweiler (Type 1 Narcolepsy) is looking for connections 😃
Are you a choreographer or professional dancer with Cataplexy who lives in Australia or New Zealand?
Are you interested in potential creative projects exploring dance and cataplexy?
Then DM or email Laura
If you’re a choreographer or professional dancer with Narcolepsy and live elsewhere, Laura would love to hear from you too! 🌸
Research Residency Sharing
Dr Laura (Amara) Osweiler and Critical Path hosted an invitation only sharing at The Drill & Zoom on 29 August. Here’s the highlight:
Laura Osweiler | Critical Path | Research Residency Sharing | 31 Aug 2022 from Amara Dances Phd on Vimeo.
An inspirational playlist from Laura:
Image credits:
- by Chris Laudermilk
- by Joe Spitler
- by Herb Kissling
- by Laura Osweiler
- by Laura Osweiler