Zwazo/Koulév
2013
Two Channel HD Video
Featuring Haitian dancer Yonel Charles, this short video project was done during a residency at Jakmel Ekspresyon, Haiti. This sketch is based on abstract movements representing two disparate symbols of voodoo tradition. In Kreyole, Zwazo, translates into bird and Koulév, snake. For this poetic dance, Charles embodies both spirits. In a central location in Jacmel, Yonel embodies the most powerful Loa (supreme spirit), known as Damballah, the serpent god. In this performance he and the snake (or Koulév) become one.
In visual contrast, Charles is representing the mighty spirit of the soaring bird, Zwazo, which represents soul freedom and flight of the imagination. Paired together, this two-channel installation becomes a force of nature and an unhindered devotional dance meditation.
PERFORMER
Yonel Charles