Dr. Katarzyna Pastuszak: "Nomadic Stories, Nomadic Identities"

"Nomadic Stories, Nomadic Identities: performative projects as processual tools in the struggle to reclaim identity and empower indigenous women"



Presented by Dr. Katarzyna Pastuszak, Visiting Professor, American Studies

"In this presentation, I outline and analyse several transcultural performative projects that I have developed in collaboration with indigenous women artists. I analyse the process of working on the performance “Nomadic Woman” and other projects as examples of choreographing corporeal narratives and dancing herstories, and processual tools in the struggle to reclaim identity and empower women. These artistic/artivist projects advanced the process of “bodily decolonization” of the selected Inuit and Ainu representatives. They were also an attempt to develop a language of transregional artistic collaboration that transcends political boundaries and gender normativities."



Dr. Katarzyna Pastuszak is a dancer/performer, choreographer and artistic director of Amareya Theatre & Guests. She is an Associate Professor and Lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts at the Institute of English and American Studies at University of Gdańsk. In her artistic activities she explores choreographic practices and improvisation tools. She is interested in the politicality of the body and choreography. She works with ethnic minorities and groups at risk of exclusion. She also explores the relationship between storytelling and choreography, creating performances based on herstories and body memory. Her performances were presented, among others, in Japan, Greenland, Norway, Turkey, Israel, Germany, France, Russia and at numerous festivals in Poland.