milk
MILK is an interdisciplinary dance project by Kristin Wagner/Bodies Moving, premiering as a gallery exhibition at the Jean McDonough Arts Center’s Worcester PopUp space in Spring 2026.
Drawing from personal experience and community dialogue, MILK explores the intersections between infant feeding and disordered eating and the tension between nourishment, control, and care. As both a mother and a woman in recovery from disordered eating, I examine how feeding — an act often described as “the most natural thing in the world” — can stir deep emotional complexity.
Through contemporary dance, sound, and portraiture, MILK reflects on the intimate labor of feeding, the cultural weight placed on bodies, and the shared struggles and joys of loving and nourishing the bodies and souls we know best: our own and those of our children. The installation features projected dance performance, an original sound score incorporating interviews with families, and portraits of those who shared their stories throughout the project’s creation.
The exhibit runs April 29 - May 9, 2026 and is free and open to the public during open gallery hours, Wednesday to Saturday 2-6pm.
Join me for two special live events:
Saturday, May 2, 2026 4-6pm: MILK Community Workshop and Reception
Participants are invited to gather for journaling, group dialogue, and gentle movement as we reflect on our own relationships to food, eating, and the ways we feed and are fed — both physically and emotionally. Join me in conversation, reflection, and movement as we honor the bodies that nourish and are nourished.
Drawing from personal experience and community dialogue, MILK explores the intersections between infant feeding and disordered eating and the tension between nourishment, control, and care. As both a mother and a woman in recovery from disordered eating, I examine how feeding — an act often described as “the most natural thing in the world” — can stir deep emotional complexity.
Through contemporary dance, sound, and portraiture, MILK reflects on the intimate labor of feeding, the cultural weight placed on bodies, and the shared struggles and joys of loving and nourishing the bodies and souls we know best: our own and those of our children. The installation features projected dance performance, an original sound score incorporating interviews with families, and portraits of those who shared their stories throughout the project’s creation.
The exhibit runs April 29 - May 9, 2026 and is free and open to the public during open gallery hours, Wednesday to Saturday 2-6pm.
Join me for two special live events:
Saturday, May 2, 2026 4-6pm: MILK Community Workshop and Reception
Participants are invited to gather for journaling, group dialogue, and gentle movement as we reflect on our own relationships to food, eating, and the ways we feed and are fed — both physically and emotionally. Join me in conversation, reflection, and movement as we honor the bodies that nourish and are nourished.
Saturday May 9, 2026 2-4pm: MILK Live Performance and Closing Reception
Celebrate Mother's Day Weekend and MILK’s final day in the Pop Up with live performances of contemporary dance and poetry in the gallery space. Through an artist talkback, we'll discuss the project’s exploration of feeding, nourishment, and the complex relationships we have with our own bodies and those of our children. Light refreshments will be served, and a cash bar will be available.
Celebrate Mother's Day Weekend and MILK’s final day in the Pop Up with live performances of contemporary dance and poetry in the gallery space. Through an artist talkback, we'll discuss the project’s exploration of feeding, nourishment, and the complex relationships we have with our own bodies and those of our children. Light refreshments will be served, and a cash bar will be available.
MILK features photography by Stefanie Belnavis of The Diahann Project and BirthLooms; music by Benjamin Cuba; film content by Lindsay Caddle LaPointe of Linden Tree Productions; dancing by Kristin Wagner, Andrea Blesso, Jimena Bermejo, and Jessica Roseman; and recorded interviews with and artwork by members of the community. The following individuals contributed their knowledge, expertise, insights and voices to the project: Rose Johnson of Hearts and Hands Therapy Services; Joanna Maag of Hearts and Hands Therapy Services; Maddie Lam, birth doula; Marisa Gaudet of Mother Nurture Postpartum; Robin Amylon, Registered Dietician; and Kelsey Rigopoulos, Registered Dietician.
I gained invaluable insight from these individuals as well as the following books: The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America by Virginia Sole Smith; Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life by Kelsey Miller; and How to Raise an Intuitive Eater: Raising the Next Generation with Food and Body Confidence by Amee Severson and Sumner Brooks.
It feels strange to credit Instagram Influencers, but possibly not given our culture's more modern methods of collecting information. This project was inspired and informed by the work of many incredible people on the internet wielding their power for good, including but not limited to: Danae Mercer Ricci (@danaemercer), Shana Minei Spence (@thenutritiontea), Natalie Rose (@wakeupandsmelltherosay), and Sammie Brondo (@veggiesandchocolate).
I gained invaluable insight from these individuals as well as the following books: The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America by Virginia Sole Smith; Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life by Kelsey Miller; and How to Raise an Intuitive Eater: Raising the Next Generation with Food and Body Confidence by Amee Severson and Sumner Brooks.
It feels strange to credit Instagram Influencers, but possibly not given our culture's more modern methods of collecting information. This project was inspired and informed by the work of many incredible people on the internet wielding their power for good, including but not limited to: Danae Mercer Ricci (@danaemercer), Shana Minei Spence (@thenutritiontea), Natalie Rose (@wakeupandsmelltherosay), and Sammie Brondo (@veggiesandchocolate).
MILK is supported by the Jean McDonough Arts Center, the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, the Worcester Arts Council (a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency), and the New England Foundation for the Arts New England Dance Fund, with generous support from the Aliad Fund at The Boston Foundation.
Content Warning: This exhibit might include some nudity (breasts). The exhibit explores discussions of infant feeding and disordered eating in adults, which may feel triggering or sensitive for some.
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The photos contained on this website were taken by Olivia Moon Photography/@halfasianlens, Timothy Avery Photography/@timothygavery and Gabriel Rizzo/Golden Lion Photography.
Please contact me for any questions regarding specific credits.
Please contact me for any questions regarding specific credits.