Sophia Newton Shines in Qatar with “Listen,” a Powerful Mix of Dance and Spoken Word
By Kaffy (Kafayat Shafau)
At the Global South Arts and Health Week (GSAHW) event in Qatar, dancer, movement artist, and creative educator Sophia Newton delivered a deeply affecting performance with Listen, a work that fuses expressive movement and spoken word to powerful effect. The event brought together artists, health practitioners, academics, and cultural leaders from around the world to explore the intersections of art, health, and social change. Against this backdrop, Newton’s performance stood out for its raw honesty and emotional clarity.
Drawing on her background in contemporary dance and expressive arts, Newton used spoken word layered with fluid, intentional movement to tell a story that was both personal and universal. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, she commanded attention. Her opening gesture, a silent struggle to speak, immediately drew the audience into her world. The atmosphere in the room shifted as people leaned forward, unsure of what would follow but fully invested in the moment. When the spoken word began to emerge and weave through her movement, a quiet intensity settled across the hall.
Newton’s choreography is economical yet emotionally rich. She uses stillness and gesture with precision, allowing her body to communicate what words cannot. Her performance unfolds like a conversation between silence, voice, and movement. The repeated plea to “listen” becomes both a motif and a force, anchoring the work in emotional urgency and demanding the audience’s full presence.
As the piece develops, there is a clear shift in tone. What begins as grief and silent struggle gradually transforms into resilience and hope. Sophia Newton navigates this transition with sensitivity, guiding the audience through a journey that mirrors the process of acknowledging pain, releasing it, and moving toward healing. She achieves this through a seamless interplay of voice and movement, never relying on spectacle but on presence and authenticity.
The audience’s response was immediate and heartfelt. Eyes were fixed on her throughout, and by the final moments, the atmosphere in the room was charged with emotion. Many were moved to tears, and the discussion that followed revealed just how deeply the message had resonated. Attendees described feeling seen, heard, and stirred to reflect on their own stories.
Listen is both clear in its intention and skilful in its delivery. Sophia Newton’s ability to hold a room through movement and voice is remarkable. She crafts an experience that is both artistically compelling and emotionally unforgettable, demonstrating the power of performance to speak to shared human experiences.
