DESCENDANT - Angola Murdoch (LookUp Theatre)
“Our DNA is in our hair: using an aerial rope with the outer layer removed (resembling my wavy hair), the rope will be rigged to a tree, my family tree while also attached to my own hair, thus becoming an extension of myself. As I climb, twist and weave myself through this extension, I travel through my heritage, hanging onto the past and discovering my own culture.
Being 6th generation Canadian, my cultural heritage is hidden behind name changes and retold tales. After a recent DNA test to find out more about my ancestry, I discovered that I am European Jewish and less than 30 percent Irish, Scottish and English, with some Spanish and Italian. Until the test, I had always thought I was 100% mix of Irish, Scottish and English.
In this piece I contemplate how my ancestors lived and what they were like. The visual piece starts with audio of my grandfather who was interviewed by CBC radio in early 2000 about his 60 year career delivering the mail by horse and buggy.”
Creator and Performer - Angola Murdoch
Video and Edit - Eamon Mac Mahon
Arborist and Rigger - Hayley Landry
My artistic form is storytelling through contemporary circus arts and theatre. It is creative nonfiction, as I use true stories as an anchor while also using imagination to creatively convey the story using movements, text and metaphors.
I am the founder and Artistic Director of LookUp Theatre, a circus and theatre company formed in 2009. I have been working in the circus industry for over fifteen years. The Globe and Mail wrote about my first production, "The packed house of a mostly younger demographic was wildly
enthusiastic in its response, and with good reason." In 2008 my solo show was named "most heartfelt dance show in Canada" also from the Globe and Mail.
My childhood was spent mostly upside down, dancing and doing gymnastics while growing up on my family farm in Grey County, Ontario. I have trained and performed in many movement disciplines including over fifteen years of capoeira, aerial circus and acrobatics. My strength is creating new aerial equipment and using it in a theatrical setting. Currently I am a company member of Femme Du Feu Creations and A Girl in the Sky productions. For 7 summers I have been commissioned to create a half hour circus show for the Summerfolk Festival where I combined circus and live music. I have performed at many major venues in Ontario
including Buddies in Bad Times, Harbourfront Centre, Art Gallery of Ontario, Canadian National Exhibition, and The Second City. Some highlights of my international career include: Cirque Pacifica (Maui), Granmercy Theatre (NYC), Command Performance (European Tour), and Zip Zap Circus (South Africa).