Shan Hafez

Born: Moorpark, CA — 1999 / Living: Los Angeles, CA

Interview by Justine Fisset — November 2019

Justine Fisset: Who are you?

Shan Hafez: Good question, that is something I’m still navigating and discovering each day. I am, have been, and will be a lot of things. Right now I am a fairy, a witch, a healer, an artist, a mover, and a dancer currently living in Los Angeles. You can refer to me as Shan.

JF: What is your background/education in dance? 

SH: I’ve been dancing my way through life since I was around 3. I grew up dancing at dance studios, doing conventions and competitions. I spent a lot of my childhood watching every dance video and film that existed online, and I would imagine myself dancing in ways my body couldn’t quite deliver at the time. After training at Serendipity Dance Company and graduating high school, I’ve been studying dance at California Institute of the Arts. During my time at CalArts I’ve been training, collaborating, creating...and doing all sorts of films, performances, and music videos.

JF: How have your movements evolved since your beginnings in dance/how did you emancipate from what you have learnt in order to create your own style? How would you define your current dance style? 

SH: There is a little part of every being I’ve watched or have learned from, in me. I gain inspiration from truly everything and everybody, and that history will always be a part of my style. I’ve always experienced this intense energy inside of me, and dance has always been the only thing to release, control, and restore that energy. I think what is ever-evolving about my practice is my relationship to my body and understanding of how they work and function. My style is a manifestation of my desire for my being to not only survive, but flourish. My current dance style is very interested and inspired by energy; of the environment, of the movement, and within myself.

JF: Could you name a choreographer or a dancer who inspired you the most? Whom have you learnt the most from? 

SH: Oof, that’s a hard one. I’ve truly gained so much inspiration from so many beings throughout the years, and those people know who they are. 

JF: Could you describe your creating process of choreography? Where do you draw your inspiration from? What is the difference between improvisation and choreography? 

SH: I find in a lot of my practice there’s a feeling that develops in me, often in response to world events or events in my life, and the only way this deep feeling will be nourished is if I create some art about it. Oftentimes, I’ll have visions of what this art looks like and how I can use dance and the body to capture this feeling. Sometimes it calls for choreography and sometimes it calls for improvisation. I have always felt my most honest work has been improv or somewhat structured improv. I feel most free and vulnerable knowing that anything can happen, and knowing whatever happened was true in that moment.

JF: What does dance bring to your life? Do you consider dance as a personal healing process? If yes, what did (or still does) dance heal or free you from? 

SH: Dance brings me life, breath, hope...it guides me through the unknown. Movement is how I navigate the physical and emotional pain I experience. It has helped me rewire my brain’s relationship with pain and sensation...as well as give me space to understand my body on a deeper level. Dance is a meditation, a ritual, a love letter. Dance is the only thing I’ve found that makes me feel in control of my body. 

JF: You seem to value the link between dance and activism a lot and your work focuses on self- pride and the importance of a community in the individual researching process of identity etc... In that regard, to what extent can dance be a powerful medium of activism? 

SH: Dance is energy. People are energy. Spaces where we come together and dance are incredibly powerful. There is so much healing within community, and we have so much to learn from one another. Dance can speak volumes and questions what we know. Every time I dance, every time I create and share my art with the world, I am fighting, I am sharing my energy, and I am reimagining this world.

JF: What is the most important message that you are trying to deliver to the world through your dance? 

SH: The intention in my work is always to evoke some sort of healing. I think a lot of my work has to do with subjects and representation that I know would have helped baby Shan.

JF: You also use video installations in your art. For example, in your video against sexual harassment and r*pe culture or again for your project called “Sick with knowledge.” To what extent do video installations influence your dancing? What do they bring/add to your dance? 

SH: I’ve always been drawn to film and I think it’s because it was my access to dance during times I wasn’t able to physically be in class training. I envision a lot of dance films and truly love all aspects of the creative process beyond the dancing. Dance film is also generally more accessible than live performance and will reach a human across the world that maybe needed to see it. 

JF: Why did you choose Instagram as a platform to promote your art? How would you define your use of social media? 

SH: It’s an active place to connect and share right now. I often push myself to post creations and conversations that are scary and vulnerable to share but are true to me. I’m slowly unlearning the fear of being “too much” or “too little” in my dance videos and just posting what is honest. 

JF: You’ve also collaborated with other artists for different projects, like the dance performance directed by Solange for Uniqlo: What does it feel like to work for someone else’s art? 

SH: Working for somebody or something you believe in is so fulfilling. I deeply respect Solange and being a part of her vision was a beautiful experience. One of my favorite parts of working for someone else’s art is the sense of community built during the process. I love connecting with other artists on set and then often seeing them again in the future. 

JF: Do you need to be surrounded by other artists or inspirational people or do you prefer to create alone?

SH: With the right people collaboration is a magical and rewarding thing. Some of my more personal work I’ve created alone because I want to share it on my own timeline and circumstances. I love what I learn from others when collaborating and I love what I learn from within when creating alone. 

JF: You also dance a lot outside, in nature: how is it different from dancing/creating in a dance studio? 

SH: In a studio space I feel I’m dancing by myself, but when I’m in nature, the trees and the sun energetically contribute to my movement. Usually when I’m in the studio I tend to focus on connecting to myself and when I’m dancing in nature I’m connecting to the world and all beyond me. The ground and the architecture of the space definitely contribute to what type of movements are possible. Both environments are healing in their own ways. 

JF: What is the project you’re proudest of? What’s coming next?

SH: Many of the projects I am most proud of, I haven't shared publicly actually. I’ve made some very personal and vulnerable pieces at school that I haven’t felt the need to share online yet. I’ve been brewing and digesting emotions relating to what I experience in my body...it has been, and will be, lifelong research, and I am starting to feel ready to share this part of myself. So exciting things are coming.