cradled in the arms of myself (with you)

Created just as the world began to crack open in early 2021, "cradled in the arms of myself (with you)" traces the independence and interdependence of two partners facing a crossroads in life and love. The piece pulls directly from the artists' personal relationship, as a couple that was forced into a very small space together - with a mountain of personal, professional and relational stressors to contend with - during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the work, the pair orbit one another, inextricably bound by an invisible tether, and yet wholly immersed in their own independent experience. Through fleeting moments of connection, the dancers recognize a love that underlies ongoing loneliness and a foundation that offers stability during a time of unimaginable uncertainty. The climax of the work comes as the partners finally hold extended eye contact and join in tender and unending touch, as if to say, "okay, I don't know what comes next, but in this moment, I have myself, and I have you, and that is enough." With this, "cradled" offers catharsis to an audience that has experienced unprecedented loneliness, while depicting timeless and ubiquitous nuances of intimate relationships.

This piece was created for Decent Dance, a collaboration between myself and my husband Tony Guglietti, and premiered at North Atlantic Ballet's Pop Up Performance at Windhover Performing Arts Center (Rockport) in October 2021. You can see the piece as performed at Refract/Reframe: Reflections on Loss, Love and Light​ presented by The Click in December 2022.