Zwoisy Mears-Clarke

How to greet like a Jamaican: Step 1 is an invitation in the broadest sense to explore in a one-to-one
setting how we use our bodies to determine, suggest and reinforce our relationship to another person, more
specifically a stranger—a question that often arises as the accumulated number of resident refugees and
immigrants increase each year within Berlin. Within each European country, there are different institutional
strategies to integrate the approved migrants. Here, this question of strategy will always be approached on
an individual level, i.e. what are the strategies people can use to make this diversification anything but
disconcerting. Inspired by social practices physically and psychologically inscribed onto the artist while
growing up in Jamaica, the performer provides the participant a uniquely physical experience of treating a
stranger as family, showing an unfamiliar, non-popularised side of the Jamaican culture.

Credits:

How to greet like a Jamaican: Step 1
English
15 min.
Choreography & Performance: Zwoisy Mears-Clarke
Coaching: Anna M ülter and Liz Rosenfeld
Costume: Eva Bakardjiev
Thanks: to Maria Scaroni, Jörn Burmester and Roni Katz for their elevating feedback as well as
everyone that helped me in the process of making this.

Website: http://zmearscl.wix.com/mearsclarke

Zwoisy Mears-Clarke was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the U.S.A. at the age of 13, before heading off again at 21. Following this ongoing migratory experience Zwoisy’s work focuses on the translation of untold stories. Paired with discussion of written and oral stories throughout the process of creating each piece, full-bodied movement, gestures, scholarly literature and collaboration are used to support its materialization. The aim of this process remains to provide alternatives ways to share experiences and form connections between estranged communities. Zwoisy received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, New York City and a B.A. in Physics and Dance at Oberlin College, Oberlin, U.S.A. in 2012. Within the work, one will find that these opposing yet complementary concepts of the body are connected. In the recent years, Zwoisy has studied with Billie Hanne, Jodi Melnick, Kirstie Simson, Mary Cochran, and Nancy Stark-Smith, and has performed the works of Isabelle Schad,Susan Rethorst, Kyle Abraham, Will Rawls, and Wendy Jehlen. Zwoisy has performed and shown work at venues both in Berlin and New York City, such as HAU, Sophiensaele, New York Live Arts, the Tank and the Glicker-Milstein Black Box Theatre. Currently, Zwoisy is based in Berlin.