Shamita Siva is a performance artist whose practice ranges from the stage to the screen. As an actor and dancer her exploration of character through movement has led her to perform on the world stage, from Guam to Singapore, and even for an audience of cows in country Victoria. With an impressive list of credits, Shamita is using inter-cultural practices and dark sense of humour to explore themes of nature, identity and queerness. In this interview Shamita discusses her early influences growing up in Brunei; the magic of finding the right creative collaborators; and her upcoming projects including burlesque, theatre and a new venture into filmmaking.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your creative practice.
Hello! I’m Shamita, or SHAM, and I’m a creative who wears many hats. I use the umbrella term ‘performing artist’ to keep things simple, but I do several things outside of performance. I’m an actor, dancer and cabaret artist who specialises in movement, dance and physical practices. I have also worked as a movement director and choreographer, but outside of that I have also written and directed for theatre, and am in the process of creating and producing my first film!
How did you start your creative practice and why?
I first started dancing at the age of four, but I wouldn’t necessarily call that the start of my ‘creative practice’! I didn’t take dancing or acting very seriously until I was in high school. At that point I was dancing professionally in a performance crew on weekends, but I think I first started to uncover my creative practice at university in around 2015. I had broadened my ideas of what a career in the arts could look like, and was relieved to find that I wouldn’t be constrained to cattle call auditions for musicals my whole life. ( I am NOT a musical theatre gal!) I wanted to explore characters through movement and aesthetics, and there was a good scope for experimental work in Melbourne.
Where did you grow up and has it influenced what you create?
I grew up overseas, and spent a lot of my life in a tiny place called Brunei. My parents are originally Malaysian but they moved around when I was young, and despite still growing up in South East Asia, Brunei was a very unique place that had its own set of challenges. Living within an expat community meant that I learned to get along well with people from all sorts of places, and had a very ‘third culture kid’ upbringing. I felt that this gave myself (and all the others who I grew up with) a great sense of openness and curiosity, but at the same time we all felt a sense of cultural confusion. It’s difficult to articulate the feeling of being able to get along with everyone everywhere, yet never quite able to feel ‘at home’ anywhere either. I don’t think it largely influenced who I am as a creative now, but it definitely did teach me how to think outside the box, and gave me a great respect for the freedom of creativity we have here compared to certain Southeast Asian nations. Some of my work is quite a fusion of styles, so perhaps this is a reflection of my identity! I’ve never been one to completely follow the rules of tradition!
Tell us about your past creative projects. What has been a highlight so far?
This is such a difficult question! I’ve had a few great projects over the years. The highlights for me aren’t always jobs where I’ve worked with ‘Big Names’ or have booked a huge advertising gig. I think they’re highlights because of the simplicity and the ease of working with the right combination of people. When talented creatives who have immense respect for each other come together, the end product is always magical. One project that I think fondly of was when I toured with ‘Baby Got Back’; a riot girl burlesque show. This show was always special in all its forms, and each performer brought so much heart! I trained myself to do katana choreography, and the set always took it out of me. It never got easier but it was definitely a good challenge. More recent highlights include being nominated as best actress for my work on the soon-to-be cult classic ‘Dashboard Dogs’ at BIMIFF, and being asked to be the 2022 Australian Burlesque Festival’s ‘Featured artist’. Featuring at the ABF ‘Big Tease’ show felt like a big step forward in representation within the burlesque community, which happens to be very white. Oh, and a fun one. Dancing in the middle of country Victoria for a field of cows! Myself, and the group [were] touring a bollywood show which had just finished a show at a rural theatre, and the theatre owner happened to let slip that he had to go home and ‘feed the cows’. We didn’t think he was serious till he offered to introduce us, and suddenly ten minutes later there we were, hanging out and doing bollywood in front of these giant cows. They seemed thoroughly entertained.
Who or what inspires your practice?
I’m inspired by the most random occurrences, from sounds around me, to nature, to socio/ political climates. I used to think my inspiration could be drawn out by going to certain locations, or trying to meditate or get high, but no. My inspiration strikes at the most inopportune moments where I am often nowhere near my laptop or notepad. I’ve taken to recording voice memo’s on my phone so I can come back to them later.
What is it you hope that audiences take away from your work?
When I’m creating work its always very dependent on who I’m performing for. I often create/ adapt work to suit certain events. Where I can, I like to get a little political; and sometimes tie in themes I’m passionate about such as nature, or identity/queerness. I also love addressing serious issues through comedy- and dark comedy is a specialty of mine. Being able to laugh through uncomfortable situations is sometimes the best way forward. It’s not to say i make ‘light’ of heavy topics, but rather find the moments of shared discomfort within and around a pressing subject. Across the board, my main hope for audiences who view my work is that they are left entertained and engaged, but also feel like they’ve had some kind of experience or journey with me. It is never ‘ one note’.
Where do you feel most creative?
I feel the most creative when I’m on a long walk, or out by myself. I think it gives me the opportunity to take in my surroundings more and just be more present. When I’m seated or at home I tend to be sitting at/ with my laptop or phone, so getting away from too many sources of technology is often helpful! Even long drives are great- I love letting my mind wander!
What gets you through challenging creative/ industry times?
I’m a big believer in healthy body=healthy mind, so I throw myself into fitness and exercise. At the very least if I kick my endorphins up, I can feel less shitty about challenging times. Working out or moving your body is something that (most people) can control, so if you can drag your arse to a class or even to just do some gentle stretching, then thats some small achievement in itself! I also love cooking so I’ll distract myself making a mess in the kitchen. Finally- my little fur child, my rabbit. He gets me through EVERYTHING.
Whose work are you digging at the moment?
I’ll try to only name a few, but Im obsessed with the choreography of Shahar Binyamini, the visual style of Erik Ferguson, and the feel-good sad-girl audio vibes of Miiesha; I think winter has got me feeling some type of way!
What future projects are you looking forward to?
I’ve got a few exciting ones in the pipeline, including a play at theatreworks, and a large scale old-school glamour burlesque show, but my biggest source of excitement is my upcoming film ‘Twin Flame!’ This baby has been in the works for two years and we are finally shooting in just four weeks! The film is the first of its kind and we can’t wait to bring these characters to life.
Where can we find and follow you online?
You can find me lurking on instagram as @anfractuous, or @twinflame.film – or if you’re old school: www.commotioninstillness.com