Samples of work from 1998-2015

1998 Here some excerpts of my degree show ‘Feel to be the Fact” at University of Brighton (BA hons Dance and Visual Practice), a piece fundamentally created to understand the futility of seeking, I had heard of Adi Da Samraj for the first time in Brighton and began to process studying his writings through creative expression at University.

2001 These excerpts are of freely improvised performances, where I humorously explored the recognition of oneness and non-separation set against the questionable qualities of the presumption of separateness. This creative exploration began after meeting Adi Da Samraj in person resulted in an unexpected dissolve into the Relity of no separation, just simply when walking through my kitchen. There was a life before and a life after this happening.

2003 I felt that I couldn’t hold that quality of non-separation in the improvised performances indefinitely so I moved to explorations of dance as expression of Adi Da’s profound poetry which powerfully transmitted the state of non-separation. I wanted to find out how to combine with this state completely in body and being without any separative mechanism getting into the way. The poem below moved me so much as I felt literally consumed by that ‘pillar of Light’ he describes in my first meeting with him.

Below a portfolio of collages created from images of dancing this particular poem. An image of Adi Da in the room  helped me to connect with his energy through a visual as well as through his word.

2004 During an artist’s residency at Oxford House in London I went back to devised work, juxtaposing the exploration of oneness through Adi Da’s poetry and the sense of separateness in a rather comical way. I developed two solo pieces called “The Poodle Badge Jumper and the Mystery” and “The Ultimate Attraction” which were performed at Oxford House and other venues in and near London.

Below the first version of the Poodlebadge Jumper and the Mystery performed at Fresh Performance Platform in Bracknell Arts Center in 2005:

And this is the second piece “The Ultimate Attraction”:

2005 I was very fortunate to meet the Odissi dancer Sayanthani Dhar and her family and felt profoundly inspired by the creation of creative collaborations based in the understanding of oneness which meant that any form of creative expression can meet and enhance another. The vision of the incredible beauty of creativity expressed in oneness across all cultural differences was born, we collaborated on an experimental piece in London.

2007 I participated as dancer and film maker in “The Mummery Book” by Adi Da Samra and I developed a unique role in the piece, embodying the deeply esoteric elements of the text which did not relate to any of the ‘characters’ on stage, but were expressions of transcendental reality itself

2014 The vision of collaborating as a body of oneness was explored in a “Prior Unity Happening” in Holland at the European Danda, a durational performance installation in a gallery exhibiting art by Adi Da Samraj. We freely explored Adi Da’s poem “I don’t care anymore to keep silent about it, I have never been born or died” from his poetry collection ‘Crazy Da Must Sing’ in spoken and sung word, movement and stillness as a collective improvised happening:

2015 A wonderful collaboration with Girish Patel (tabla and recitation) led to the inspiration to write poetry to dance to myself, I had the opportunity to dance to this very first poem that I had written since being a teenager at the first Stroud Sacred Music Festival, which marked the beginning of a new chapter in my creative process.

“Watching Eva interpret profound texts through her dance is to uncover new depths to humanity’s desire for the Divine. Through her remarkably skillful, yet free-spirited movements we catch a glimpse of a more beautiful world – a world where the Divine and all who flow from that Source are one. It is a profoundly hopeful experience.”

Rev Simon Howell, Team Vicar, Pioneer Minister & Inter faith Adviser, based in Stroud, UK

for more recent creative developments please visit the pages live offerings, experimental film and digital photomontages and poetry