IN THE ACADEMY

Conjoined

2002

Constructed after the loss of my daughter Autumn at 20 weeks gestation, this work contemplates motherhood – my relation with my own mother, carrying a child, loss and its aftermath. Drawn from stories of complicated relationships with their mothers, the text in this work is built with each of the dancers offering a layered tapestry that is the mother daughter relationship. This work, the first choreographed as a member of the UIUC faculty, became one of the building blocks of my full length piece AfroSocialiteLifeDiva that premiered in NYC at Dance Theatre Workshop in 2003.

Dancers: Leslie Cuyjet; Solange Fermin; Elizabeth Johnson; Ana Mendez; Anna Sapozhnikov; Francisca Silva; Mariam Thiam; Sarah Winkler
Music: Jason Finkelman
Costume Design: Cybele Moon
Lighting Design: Michael W. Williams