Alyssa Amarshi
Having parents from Tanzania, and of Indo-Ismaili heritage, Alyssa has always been interested in diverse types of cultural expression, especially movement and intermodal art. She has creative directed, choreographed and performed in pieces for Vines Festival, Indian Summer Festival, and Vancouver International Children’s Festival. Having taken part in panels for the City of Vancouver, the Reach Gallery, and in her work with Dance West Network, Alyssa strives to bring voice to equity in the arts. Her vision, through her collective Her Tribal Roots is to create more opportunities for artistic expression, rooted in symbiotic collaboration, compassion, and play.
Pictured from waist up in a grassy plain, a person with long dark brown hair wearing body jewelry, wrist bangles, rings and a large piece of facial jewelry holds their neck with one hand, tilting it up skywards, holding the other hand to their head.
Connected Roots
Her Tribal Roots x From the Heart A land based project that connects community through collaborating with the Earth, and centering Youth expression in dance, music, and play.
Project history: Youth living in the beautiful valleys of the West Kootenay region, which is unceded land with many complex Nation relationships; it has been recently recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada as Sinixt territory and also includes Ktunaxa Yaqan Nukiy territory. We also extend our respect to the Sylix and Secwépemc people, whose neighbouring territories represent important connections and kinship. The region is also home to many Métis Nation citizens and diverse Indigenous people.
Lead Artist: Her Tribal Roots (collective)
Contact: alyssa.amarshi@gmail.com
Audience type: General
Length: 1-5 days of land based artistic exploration (residency or workshops) with a culminating 30 min – 1 hr sharing/ performance
Space required: Adjustable to any outdoor open space with dry ground (i.e. forest, grass field, beach etc)
Preparation required: 30 min of set up time
Minimal on-site technical requirements: Portable Bluetooth Speakers
Possible Community Engagement Activities: Emergent workshops/ collaborative outdoor residency with a culminating community sharing and performance
Availabilities: 2023/24 seasons and beyond.
Number of artists: 2-7 facilitators from Her Tribal Roots (performers are also part of support team staff for the project)
Open to any number of youth/ members of the community who would like to participate in the workshops/ residency exploration
In June 2021, Dance West Network supported artists from interdisciplinary collective Her Tribal Roots to express and explore our artistry among the 1,308 Old Growth Trees that were set to be cut down by TransMountain but were saved by Elders, Land Defenders, and Hummingbirds.
The process was shaped by meditation, personal exploration of movement and expression, a mycorrhizal-like connection between one another and our surroundings, and collaboration with the trees, the water, and the land.
In the fall of 2022, Her Tribal Roots' artists Alyssa Amarshi and Orin T McRey brought this land based creative process of Connected Roots to the Kootenays through collaboration with From The Heart, an Indigenous Youth Led initiative that brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to learn, connect, and express with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Artists, and community.
The process encompassed drumming with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, meditating, embodying the elements, and co-creative movement exploration, inspired by our surroundings and one another. After a few days of land based "Connected Roots" process, the creative energy moved to the Capitol Theatre in "Nelson, BC," where the fruits of the week were shared with the community.
At its heart, Connected Roots is a land-based process where the artists of Her Tribal Roots aim to connect with the Earth and surrounding community to explore and hold space for emergent expression.
Connected Roots hope to shift and move into different communities, as well as to reconnect with the community in the Kootenays. The artists from Her Tribal Roots facilitate different prompts for expression so each individual participating can explore their artistry before coming together in collective sharing and expression. Connected Roots often ends the day or artistic session with an “each one teach one” collaboration where every individual adds their expression (a movement, body percussion, a sound) that ends with a collective choreography and jam. This emergent creation has been and can be shared in community and theatre spaces, or also simply be held in the container of the land.