dreaming with the body

This contemporary dance theater project will explore the themes of sexuality, sacrifice, and violence depicted in fairy tales and lore from various cultures and traditions around the world to reveal through motion biases and assumptions embedded in mainstream culture.  

Fairy tales are stories that describe a society’s cultural morals. These morals become the lens through which society defines its boundaries and biases. The plight of women, particularly queer, BIPOC, and otherwise disenfranchised women, historically become cautionary tales in these stories. By exploring both classic and contemporary texts through movement, Dreaming With The Body seeks to convey more expansive, complex and nuanced depictions of character, conflict, and resolution that highlights and challenges accepted cultural biases.

Stories to be investigated include Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid”, “A Rose for Zemira” by Fred Crump Jr, and two selections from Carmen Maria Machado’s collection of short stories “Her Body and Other Parties” (“The Husband Stitch” and “Real Women Have Bodies”).

This project is made possible by the JMAC Worcester's Project Sponsorship grant program, administered in collaboration with the Worcester Cultural Coalition and funded by the Barr Foundation. The project will be presented as a full length production December 15-16, 2023 at the JMAC Worcester Brickbox Theater.

youth intensives

It is a core belief of mine that professional productions should include educational components that welcome youth dance students and general members of the community into the creative process in an effort to de-mystify the professional contemporary dance industry for students and audience alike. As part of Dreaming With The Body, I will be hosting a series of youth intensives in Worcester, Wilmington and Westminster this summer and fall. Pending funding, I will also host similarly structured workshops for adults in the Worcester area this fall and winter. Learn more here.