If you’ve read or heard Grace Taylor’s poetry, you’ll get a good idea of what the dance show Mother/Jaw is all about. The contemporary performance aims to empower those who have been marginalised, and give voice to those who have been silenced. The poetry inspired performance is a collection of dances, each of which speaks to a different form of oppression, with the underlying theme being that of liberation, speaking out and self-empowerment.
Grace Taylor’s collection of poetry, Afakasi Speaks is self-inspired, with Taylor speaking on behalf of those of mixed blood, similar to her own Samoan/Palagi (white) heritage. It is about women and race and breaking free of socially inflicted boundaries. Grace is at the heart of Rising Voices, a program encouraging young aspiring poets to speak their minds and fight back against boundaries through language and dance.
Directed and choreographed by Jahra ‘Rager’ Wasasala and Grace Woollett, and danced by Alisha Anderson and Mattie Hamuera, Mother/Jaw runs for four consecutive nights of opposing The Man through dance.