Gini Dickie
Gini is a teacher who has retired from the job, but not the struggle, and 8 years into retirement still can’t believe how wonderful it is to at last get 8 hours of sleep at night.
Response from Debbie Nicholls-Skerritt
Artist Statement
It was such a joy and pleasure connecting with Gini and her story! I couldn’t help but laugh and said to myself “Welp, I doubt anyone would touch this topic because this was designed for me”
Our initial contact was via email. That was when I mentioned to Gini ironically enough, that an integral part of my life’s work is focused on movements of the hips/pelvis; connecting to the healing energy of these movements; and tapping into the reservoir of joy and liberation, which is inevitable as one awakens to this journey.
The phone conversation with Gini was so enjoyable. She is such an engaging storyteller. I literally could feel her smile through the phone as she recalled her time in Africa. I was quite intrigued to hear the adventures through her lens. Due to the fact that I am woman of African descent with a Caribbean cultural identity; as is the Dancer Charmaine Headley, the pelvic movements Gini spoke of with such amazement resonated so deeply throughout the rehearsal process.
I tell the story of Gini’s experiences in Northern Nigeria as a teacher. As the Dancer in this piece, Charmaine is tasked to act as a hologram and tell the story of life through Gini’s eyes; embody the essence of the Nigerians Gini encountered and explore the intersection of those two spaces.
The use of fabric symbolizes another portal that Gini awakens to through the journey of her unwelded and liberated hips.