Lorin Sookool
- Fellow 2021
- Dancer, choreographer and facilitator from South Africa
- Cooperating partner: Roberto Castello (Italy)
Lorin Sookool is a South African independent dancer, choreographer and facilitator. Graduating from University of Cape Town‘s School of Dance, working with two local contemporary dance companies (The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative and The Playhouse Company) and working in the performance theatre industry for seven
years, Sookool has worked with a number of choreographers and performed both, locally and internationally. Her interests reach beyond choreography and performance into the broader realms of the role, position and accessibility of the artist in society, as well as unpacking the indisputable body-politic that underlies the work - particularly as connected to South Africa‘s socio-political contexts.
For her fellowship, Lorin is going to cooperate with Italian choreographer Roberto Castello to further expand her sensibilities about dance and dance-making with the intention of sharpening her voice as an independent South African female dance artist. Alongside this virtual dance exchange, Lorin will also be using the fellowship grant to unpack a recent personal tragedy through bereavement therapy and embodiment practice with two local practitioners. Although entirely process-focused, Lorin views this fellowship as an opportunity to allow for personal grief processing and healing, as well as an opportunity to begin an exploration towards a future choreographic offering. The fellowship is planned over the course of three months.
Lorion's reports
„We loved the maturity of this young artist, sharing her individual exploration of contemporary South African identities as an accomplished dancer, choreographer film director, sound artist; and this confidence in her own identity and politics shows itself in her choice of Roberto Castello as partner, specifying her interest in him as “politically controversial” and signaling an exchange at a profound political level, only possible because of her clear confidence. We applaud her courage and desire to take risks.“
- Jury-Statement