IN THE ACADEMY

Conjoined

November 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.

Performed by Leslie Cuyjet, Solange Fermin, Elizabeth Johnson, Ana Mendez, Anna Sapozhnikov, Francisca Silva, Mariam Thiam, and Sarah Winkler

Music by Jason Finkelman

Costume Design by Cybele Moon

Lighting Design by Michael W. Williams