I perform under the name Isa Vidal…

Vidal was my grandmother Esther’s maiden name - When she married my grandfather she became Esther Alonso. I wanted to preserve this name from our Sephardic heritage.

In Tibetan Buddhism, monks commonly create entities, or Tulpas (translated as emanations or magical illusions), to overcome attachments such as phobias or desires. Giving the Tulpa form, the monks meditate on their fears and use the Tulpas to overcome them. This act finally causes the entities to fully disappear once their purpose has been served and their phobia integrated.

In Dancing With My Ghosts, Isa Vidal, gives form to her first single by acknowledging the shadows she inherited and dancing with her very own Tulpa. Through this embodied ritual she makes peace with the past, integrates her shadows, and puts old stories to rest once and for all.

Directed By: James Bianchi
Choreographed By: Emma Alley Farr and Isa Vidal Performed by: Isa Vidal and Emma Alley Farr
Camera Ops: James Bianchi and Davis Farthing Editor/Colorist: James Bianchi
Gaffer/Sound: Andrew Hebert
Special Thanks: Max Goldberg