Losing It

An electric solo dance performance exploring the trauma of war through movement and sound.

Can you still hear the bombs? I can hear them.

Growing up in a war zone means living and breathing politics. The Palestinian choreographer and performer Samaa Wakim asks herself how these experiences impact her identity and how generational trauma manifests in her body. In a journey towards the moment she began to fear for her freedom, Losing It dives into memories of growing up under occupation, exploring the various lived realities, and the fantasies created out of fear and hope in order to survive. As fear overtakes Samaa, her world begins to disintegrate: the floor becomes unstable, and the sounds begin to warp, creating a world where reality and fantasy blur.

Created in conversation with a live score by Samar Haddad King, the soundscape features field recordings taken throughout Palestine since 2010. Accompanied by Wakim’s vocals, the sounds of fear and safety come together to the point where past and present cloud the future.