Suzanne returns from KAIDA pre-residency is Seoul, Korea!

Just over a week ago, I returned from two and a half weeks in Seoul where I had a three-day teaching residency for Light Sound Friends with nine participants ranging from 12 years to 53 years. They all identified as disabled and most had previous dancing experience through the KIADA dance school in Seoul. They were incredibly committed to the process and created some beautiful duets by the end of the residency. I have been asked to select some of the dancers to make a short film for the 2023 KIADA Accessible Dance Festival.

While in Seoul I also attended the 2022 KIADA International Accessible Dance Festival over four days and saw some absolutely stunning performances. The quality of performance in the festival was beyond what I had hoped for and I especially enjoyed the wide range of disability performances.

The opportunity to meet performers from Korea, Canada, Israel and Spain was a real highlight for both me and my assistant, Olivia Bjorklund. After almost three years of the pandemic these cultural exchanges are more precious than ever. As an artist with a disability it is essential to meet other artists and share our creative work together and be inspired by each others' ideas and perspectives on the world. Dance is a universal language that we share and the gift we give to each other. I already can’t wait to go back next year.