THE MYRTLE SISTERS:

TO HEALTH

The Myrtle Sisters are a duo of Estonian artists, Joanna Kalm and Nele Suisalu, both of whom are invested in holistic embodiment and healing through mind-body practices. Their duet “To Health” (“Terviseks”) was made in response to Alina Bliumis’s series of drawings "Dance as a Weapon''(2020) investigating resistance to oppression and war through dance embodiment.

The question prompting our search and dance was – What would a contemporary war dance expression be like? An answer proposed by Myrtle Sisters to this question is seemingly counterintuitive – healing. Modifying harmful patterns of living, recovering one’s somatic authority, practicing sustainability, and caring for the self and others could be approached as healing acts of resistance in the everyday. An alternative.

Myrtle Sisters start from the core of things, from re-tuning the frequencies at which we as bodies vibrate, and move forward to re-tuning the spatial context that embraces us all. Attunement is practiced and communicated through an intimate dialogue of body and voice where sounding functions as means for re-tuning our collective body in the moment.

We wish to offer the audience members the immediacy of our sound-touches afforded by our fleshy voices… as nothing touches closer than sound.

Created and performed by Joanna Kalm and Nele Suisalu in dialogue with Alina Bliumis.

Videography and edit: Piibe Kolka

Sound recording and edit: Sten Saarits

The first version of performance “To Health” was performed at Tallinn Art Hall as part of the exhibition “What makes another world possible?” (curated by Corina Apostol) opening in September 2021.

Nele speaks about fear. Of how we are in the moment of transition from fear - largely centered in the kidneys and pancreas - to love - to the heart center. We talk about being governed by fear, made fearful by external circumstances, making decisions from the latter frequency, and about where fear lies in our flesh.

We discuss how war dances functioned as a way to numb and protect the central region of the body. A way of drowning out or surpassing the fear, anxieties, uncertainties, in order to be able to psychologically, and of course physically, commit to the act of warship.

Joanna says that her center is very tender. Precisely the adrenals and pancreas seem to be inhabiting a dull ache and pressure. Her ovaries feel.. sad.. Altogether, her central region feels raw. Feels as if she does not have much skin there. One can surely peek in and witness her slightly indlamed and slimy organs pulsating.

THE MYRTLE SISTERS:

TO HEALTH

We discuss how war dances functioned as a way to numb and protect the central region of the body. A way of drowning out or surpassing the fear, anxieties, uncertainties, in order to be able to psychologically, and of course physically, commit to the act of warship.

Instead of fighting,

we choose to change the frequency right at the core of things

– in body.