Artist-in-Residence: Sarah Abdel-Jelil

Rosy Simas Danse welcomes artist-in-residence in three thirty-one space Sarah Abdel-Jelil.

Sarah Abdel-Jelil is a Mauritanian-American filmmaker, dancer, and choreographer. As a dancer/movement artist, her artwork centers the body as a primary way of knowing and experiencing the world. Inspired by her nomadic upbringing, growing up in eight different countries in a multicultural, interfaith household, Sarah explores the relational nature of home, movement, and liminal spaces. Drawn to the ephemerality of dance and performance art, as well as the seemingly permanent nature of film and photography, Sarah’s work questions notions of time and bodily wisdom by investigating the intersection of the artistic process and ‘what remains.’ Her creative practice prioritizes somatic intelligence, trusting the instinct of one’s body in space and time, and inspires reflection on the embodied nature of the lived experience. Her current practice of “dance time-lapse” combines slow movement with time-lapse photography, as an invitation to move in tandem with cycles of the natural world. As a community educator, Sarah holds creative movement workshops across age groups to facilitate dialogue through movement, in order to build community, connection, and a sense of groundedness in one’s body. She holds a BA in Cinema and Media studies from Carleton College and is a recipient of the 2020 Jerome-MCAD Fellowship and the 2017 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant. Her work has been screened at numerous venues and festivals including the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, St. Cloud Film Fest, and Altered Aesthetics Film Festival. She has completed residencies in Minnesota, Oregon, and France. https://www.sarahabdeljelil.com