Get to know an artist! Today’s Incubator spotlight is on Jocelyn Mah

Jocelyn wears a lot of hats. She is a professional dancer, choreographer and dance educator. Her work includes other disciplines such as music performance, puppetry, and writing. But that’s not the only reason the metaphor is à propos. She also plays a lot of different characters in her work. One of these creations is taking the spotlight for Jocelyn’s Incubator Project, “Moonglow.”

In Moonglow, Jocelyn is developing Lucia, a character who first appeared in her previous show Fantasma (part of Springboard Performance’s 2020 Fluid Fest) It turned out that Lucia (pardon the dancer pun) had legs. Lucia is a young woman overcome with grief, living in a chaotic state. Jocelyn’s emotional inspiration for Lucia comes from a unique variation of “Clair de Lune” (original composition by Debussy) to make her movement come to life. The embodiment of Lucia came so naturally and passionately to Jocelyn during Fantasma that she wanted to dive deeper, keep playing and discovering. Moonglow is Jocelyn’s chance to give Lucia the space she deserves, and breathe a bigger life into her.

cSPACE: What’s your imaginary autobiography called? 

JM: My fictional autobiography would be called “Body and Soul” after the jazz standard of the same name, representing the importance of movement, passion and music as the driving forces in my work and life.

cSPACE: What excites you about the Creative Incubator?

JM: What excites me about the Incubator is having the opportunity to use the space and resources to make a vision come to life- the possibilities are limitless. Thank you for your support cSPACE!

cSPACE: Aw shucks 🙂 We’re delighted to have the opportunity to watch Lucia grow. What inspires you about cSPACE?

JM: I was born and raised in Calgary, but I have lived away for many years in Toronto and London, UK. The Incubator has been a wonderful opportunity to meet Calgary artists of multiple disciplines and begin to build a community and network here in Alberta.

cSPACE: Here we live by the 4C’s: Creativity, Community, Collaboration, and Change. Which of these resonates the most with you right now?

JM: The concept of “change” is really pertinent to me and my work right now. Due to Covid-19 I have moved back to my hometown of Calgary, and most of my work has moved from the concert stage to an online performance format. These changes have been uncomfortable and at times disappointing, but have called me to manifest my resiliency and adaptability – key skills of an artist.

cSPACE: Where do you see yourself in five years?

JM: On a beach in Mexico with my dear friend Ilia. I’ve never been on a “warm” vacation!

cSPACE: Preach. We think we could all use a break with mini-umbrella drinks! If you want to support Jocelyn, you can connect with her at the following channels:  

Website: www.jocelynmah.com
Instagram: jocelyn_rocha (it is set as private but anyone can request to follow me)
Facebook and Youtube: Jocelyn Mah
Email: jfdmah@shaw.ca