alongside creating my final project, i had the honour of being involved in Rai’s negotiated project too. her creation, ‘As a Dancer, As a Person’ is about how growing up and developing as dancers can leave us with a mixed sense of identity. it focuses on the self-reflection: ‘i worry i don’t know who i am if not a dancer. in the past, this mindset of being a dancer has had detrimental impacts on my wellbeing yet my world would crumble around me if i couldn’t dance again.’ it’s centered around the complex relationship to dance us dancers have to navigate since childhood - from the sense of identity dance forms within us, the fear of not being able to hold onto that and the instability of the industry. it navigates the idea of not knowing where to place yourself in the world if not / unable to place yourself as dancer, and i, as i’m sure many dancers do, resonate so strongly with this.

this concept fuelled so much inspiration & exploration for me, and is something i really loved researching and unpicking. i adore any piece fueled by sentiment but this project specifically felt really magical to be a part of. it was so healing to reconnect with my younger self through this process. & to witness rai be so vulnerable & open with her feelings on the big stage was truly so moving to watch (i barely got through the performance each time we did it without crying). rai put so much care and love into this work that it felt so raw and authentic to perform it. thank you rai for letting me be a part of such a special project!