We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Savanah Senn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Savanah, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Actually, I have encountered this being a fusion dancer in shows that involve mostly raqs sharqi performers. I like to think that being different adds extra spice to the performance and makes it more memorable. To some extent it goes back to my goth days; I always loved drawing attention with the unexpected. With fusion dance it also has the musical element which can be a lot different than the traditional genre and I’m having a lot of fun with more modern music.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a plant scientist, and a belly dancer. I feel that there’s so much more to be expressed that can’t be explained in words. That is where dance becomes important. It’s about shapes and colors and sounds. It can capture a feeling and tell a story, let the audience get to know what’s inside for just a moment. When there’s communication, just a moment of nostalgia or forgetting oneself completely, that’s my favorite part.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Technique: learning to be humble enough to practice, even when I think I have it.
Musicality: learning to be humble enough to listen and discover all the layers of a song, and let it become the language of the creative process.
Theatricality: learning to be bold enough to take risks, and tell a story through dance.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My biggest area of growth and improvement in the past year has been with props. For me it’s the sword and the zills. They are both empowering: the sword because it’s a weapon and the zills because they really allow me to fill the space. Both of these tools have improved my practice by improving my poise and presentation. These qualities have spilled over to other parts of my life in a beneficial way, such as my career.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @absinthium_botany
- Youtube: @profsenn582
Image Credits
Rania Bossonis, Norman Senn
