Grip of Taring (2024)

Reclaim those silenced parts of yourself.
What do you feel trapped inside?
What truths have you buried?
What parts of yourself do you keep in the shadows?
There is a storm demanding to be released.........

This showcase piece explores identity, masking, tension, and the complex nature of selfhood, as well as the constant negotiation between what is shown and what is hidden. It examines one's connection to and separation from themselves. Masking emerges not only as a physical act but also as a cultural commentary, investigating how we build connections within our communities while simultaneously wearing metaphorical masks. Through the interplay of movement and ritual, the audience is invited to reflect on their own experiences of masking.

Grip of Taring is a work initially influenced by the masks and costumes of Köln Karneval. Through her residency research, Ethel became interested in and inspired by the concept of the "other self" within us, sparking her desire to create a work that explores what this hidden self can realize that the everyday self seems unable or unwilling to express.