Thursday, April 4, 2013

A note on motherhood from the Director

I am a mother. I am an artist. I am a woman. I wear my baby.
It is a sad assumption that mothers cannot have careers in the professional dance world.
I am doing it.
I have been an artist since birth. In its many incarnations, my art has seen the world of the two-dimensional and the multidimensional. In my mid-twenties, after a lifetime of dance and visual arts training, my life felt rested in the art of dance and choreography. I planned to be a professional dancer, briefly forgetting the root of my passion, which was always choreography. For me, it is creation that fills my soul. I didn't know how true that was until I created a human being. After the traumatic birth of my son, Oliver, my body could no longer perform as it once did. But I could still create dance. There's nothing like giving birth to give life and flow to creative juices. I launched 127th St. Dance Company in 2010, at age 33, when my son was a few months old. I was one hundred percent committed to this new life that I knew came to me, choosing me. And I was one hundred percent committed to following my calling as a choreographer. I knew I could do both and I could do both at the same time. My son attended rehearsals, strapped to me in the Ergobaby as I was steadfast in my attachment parenting philosophy. I did not want to leave my nursling, nor give up my career. I knew I had much to say as an artist and I knew I could do it with my baby in tow. So we danced. I taught choreography, managed a fledgling company's dancers, choreographers, finances, insurance, fees of all kinds. I wore my baby until he had weaned himself to only a few feedings a day.
Rehearsing WEEDS March 2013

Rehearsing WEEDS February 2013
By the time I became pregnant with my second child, 127th St. Dance was a well-established and baby-friendly company. I gave birth seven days after one of our performances and a month and half before another. I knew I had to get back into rehearsals as soon as possible and had little time to recover. With physical therapy and armed with our Ergobaby, I went into my first rehearsal three and half weeks postpartum. I was exhausted, but I did it! A few, short weeks later, 127th St. Dance Company performed Spirito, a piece inspired by the traumatic birth of my son.
Still of Spirito, performed at Bastyr University with Penny Simkin.


For a while, I told myself that I had to do this for my children, that I had to teach them that they could do anything. I thought I was fighting to make sure they knew that they could follow their dreams. As I get older, I am realizing that I've missed the point. They are here to show me that I can do it all. I can have all of my loves in one place. I can create these beautiful children and I don't have to leave them behind to create my life's work. I am humbled by the work these two young people have done for me.
Gratefully theirs, b


3 and half months postpartum
3 and half months postpartum

All images by the talented, Walter Zamojski.

5 comments:

  1. You are the epitome of STRENGTH, my dear friend! Your drive, determination and LOVE for life is truly inspiring to my heart and soul. Thank you <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, I love you so much. You are such an inspiration to me, for everything. Thank you for believing in me and helping me find myself when I thought I was lost. <3

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is such a beautiful article and I love the babywearing pictures as well! I would love to reprint this (with credit and links) on our blog, The Sling Lady http://carrymeaway.com/slinglady/. Please let me know if that would be okay! I couldn't find a way to contact you here but I'm happy to take this to email, also - I am Laurel@carrymeaway.com

    Best regards,
    Laurel McCarthy
    Carry Me Away www.carrymeaway.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. ابراج اليوم الاثنين 10-2-2014

    برنامج هوت سبوت شيلد
    فساتين ميريام فارس
    برنامج فايبر مجانا 2014

    العاب تلبيس بنات قمر
    العاب تلبيس بنات علي الشاطئ
    العاب مزارع بنات
    ابراج اليوم الاحد 9-2-2014

    لعبة المزرعة السعيدة ثلاثية الأبعاد
    لعبة المزرعة السعيدة الجديدة
    لعبة المزرعة السعيدة
    صور اغلفه للبروفايل متنوعه
    صور روعه للفيس اجمل صور للفيس بك
    اروووع اغلفه للفيس بوك
    صور حب حزينه صور بكاء والم القلب صور حزينا جدا تقطع القلب
    صور حزن وفراق الاحبة
    انت عمرى
    صور حرف N , خلفيات حرف ان بالانجليزي رومانسية 2014 , تصميم حرف n 2015
    اسماء ذكور اسلامية 2014, معاني اسماء مواليد اولاد اسلامية جديدة ومعانيها 2015
    اجمل اسامي بنات 2014,اسامي بنات روعة 2014 اسامي بنات جديدة
    لعبة حرب الملوك الاسطورية
    لعبة ضوء القمر سوناتا ومهمة القضاء على الذئاب المتوحشة في الغابة المخيفة
    لعبة الحرب العالمية للجنود المحاربين في أراضي المعارك الطاحنة
    لعبة القتال المستمر والصراع الأسطوري مع نمور الإرهاب والقضاء عليهم بالأسلحة القوية
    لعبة القضاء علي افراد العصبات المتشردين داخل القاعدة
    لعبة حرب القاعدة النارية للكبار





    ReplyDelete