BODYECOLOGY
BodyEcology is a practice centred in relationship and inclusion. Zsuzsi Soboslay is its founding practitioner. She works as a performer and director, choreographer, artist, writer and bodywork therapist across the eastern states of Australia. The practice makes contemporary some of the most ancient shamanic principles: that everything has life and ‘language’ and deserves our consideration and respect.
BE ~ Roots of the Concept
‘Body~Ecology’ links two terms — the idea of a ‘self’ separate from others, and a self-in-relation-to-others, including the colour, pulse, and genius of the more-than-human world. BE is rooted in an understanding that we are not alone in our practices, as artists/healers/collaborators.
BE performance projects range from site-specific events to inclusive community classes, professional collaborations for the concert stage and events at national institutions such as the National Gallery of Australia, the CSIRO and the National Film and Sound Archive.
Zsuzsi’s work as a writer spans essays, playscripts, and two decades of writings on music, dance, art, theatre and performance. She has curated three nationally-significant museum exhibitions. She has recently completed a PhD on care ethics in community arts.
Ongoing projects
From the Blog
Burnt Point (grief spirit)
Listening to Burnt Point. Rosedale --an invitation to a dialogue. Draft #1 of footage taken at Rosedale on the south coast of NSW in the aftermath of the ferocious 2020 bushfires Video shoot: March 2020 Edit: May 27. Movement: Zsuzsi Soboslay Video: Sam James, Shimmerpixel.
Recovery and resilience: Darkpond
Homage to Rosedale. With Sam James, first reconnoitre on the NSW South Coast following the bushfires. Photo and video: Samuel James, Shimmerpixel.
The Spread of Fear and Fire [i]
For International Dance Day, 2020. Sometimes our dance is about grief... Film and video by Samuel James, Shimmerpixel
The Portrait Piper
Zsuzsi Soboslay, with flautist extraordinaire Eliza Shephard, leads a new guided interpretation of the life of portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, NPG Spring Festival, Oct 28, 2018. “We need a different kind of language and a different emotional register if we are going to touch people…. And that’s [...]
Time Borrowed/Subnivien
Remembering a favourite collaboration with visual artist Annee Miron and sound artist Clive Bourne, @ CraftACT Craft and Design Centre, May 2017. Part of an exhibition of works by artists involved over 10 years of residences at Namadgi National Park Time Borrowed/Subnivien: beneath us, a world we [...]
Ventilate, part of Contour 556
Artwork by S.A.Adair, collaboration with dancer/theatre-maker Zsuzsi Soboslay and musician Richard Johnson, Saturday Oct 6@2pm Getting ready to perform within S.A.Adair's beautiful, moving installation work on Saturday at 2pm. Part of Contour 556, Commonwealth Place, East Space Gallery, Saturday October 6 @ 2pm.
Locus, with S.A.Adair
Working within textile artist Sally Adair and musician Richard Johnson, ANCA Gallery Dickson, June 14&15, 2018.
Fine judgments of our souls…
Week Two! and we have rehearsed with our three generous musicians, Ben Drury, Richard Johnson, Jess Green and Michael Misa. Pastor Peter Kuot is deciding which of his stories of South Sudanese agricultural life to tell. School students from Marist College are coming to workshops this weekend, and our [...]
Compassion Plays begins!
Anthems and Angels: The Compassion Plays: A performance event about longing, loss, and the resilience of people in exile. Developed from years of research in and amongst community. There will be live music, singing, dance, intercultural storytelling, and a share community feast!
New Works
For 2021: Re-Storying: resilience (open access program)
Re-Storying is a practical, grounding, therapeutic and reinvigorating free program, created in partnership with ACT Health and The Street Theater, Canberra. It shares restorative, regenerative practices and is available in person and online. All modules [...]
The Culture Hub (2018-21)
The Culture Hub is a work-in-progress with the north Canberra Dinka (South Sudanese) diaspora community. This intergenerational and intercultural project creates a ‘safe village’ environment for the Dinka to restore and maintain cultural practices. [...]
Moon Stories: The Day the World Changed! (2019)
Moon Stories: The Day the World Changed! is a project that commemorates the 50th anniversary year of the broadcast of the first Moon Walk from the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, [...]