Tribe in Motion expresses spirituality through dance

It’s a constantly moving journey of experience.

That’s how Rremida Shkoza described her show “Tribe in Motion,” which is a combination of theater, spirituality and dance set to open at the ArtsCenter Friday. The show, which is told through the narratives of several characters, deals with the connections between human experiences.

Shkoza said the idea for the show came from dreams and thoughts she has had.

“I just had this dream one night,” she said. “Kind of like we came from this place of oneness and we were separated and became these human beings.”

The show centers on four characters: a soldier, shaman, modern man and child.

“I’ve chosen these four archetypes so that through them we can see heartbreak, joys and creation,” Shkoza said. “It starts from the place of creation and transgresses into the spirit world and being connected.”

Shkoza conducted three interviews to gather material for the piece, one of which was with a soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“That’s the interview that really moved the show,” she said. “I felt like the soldier’s story was really a metaphor for our own wars and battles in life.”

She said the production is specific to journeys everyone has taken.

“At times we feel separate and have different experiences,” Shkoza said. “Essentially, we are all connected.”

Music will also be a big component of the show. Shkoza said she plans to use frame and African drums, a saxophone and a Persian flute to convey the show’s message.

“The music itself is another layer,” she said. “It’s really essential and medicinal.”

Stage director Jeri Lynn Schulke said the production’s combining of different art forms is unique among recent ArtsCenter shows.

“This is sort of like a hybrid: theater, dance and music,” she said. “We’ve certainly had similar shows, but this is the first time in recent history of a show like this.”

Cast member Crystal Mays said the show offers a lot to the community.

“It’s going to be a really unique experience,” she said. “It gives me chills — how it all comes together.”

Shkoza said she wants the show to be cathartic for viewers.

“I’m hoping that people will really investigate their own journeys and how they connect with themselves and others,” she said.

“There’s a solider in all of us, a shaman in all of us, a human being and an inner child in all of us.”

For Shkoza, the biggest message is also the simplest.

“Being human is an honor, and living as one is a journey.”

arts@dailytarheel.com