Mersiha Mesihovic; photo: Malcolm Betts
As a witness to war and brutality in her native Bosnia, and then as a refugee, Mersiha Mesihovic found solace and a means of creative expression in dance. Despite the wounds of separation from home and family, Mersiha had all the skills to be a great dancer. But the way she moved became an obstacle.
“I struggled a lot in the dance schools and institutions. I feel my body and the story it told wasn’t really in line with what dance is supposed to make us feel, and a lot of times my body was either moving too tense or too big.”
When she arrived in New York (via Sweden and Los Angeles), Mersiha found a way to harness the emotional power of her memories. Her unique approach to movement has attracted other dancers and led her to form Circuit Debris, a dance company which explores her approach to physical storytelling.
Now, Mersiha is confronting the trauma of her past and her struggle for self-liberation in a solo dance piece called BosnianBorn *She is a Refugee Star* which she will perform at BRIC Arts Center in New York, Sep 15-16, 2016.
Listen to other podcasts in the Dream City series including Mona Escapes , the story of a Filipina’s unexpected arrival in New York City.
Fi2W is supported by the David and Katherine Moore Family Foundation, an anonymous donor and readers like you.
