betsy miller dance projects
about american / woman
What does it mean to be a woman?
What does it mean to be a woman in America?
How do we create an alternative geography that follows the existing map but develops from a logic other than the dominant logic of the nation state?
What does it mean to be a woman in America?
How do we create an alternative geography that follows the existing map but develops from a logic other than the dominant logic of the nation state?
People say the dance field is dominated by women.
It isn’t. It is populated by women. The field of professional concert dance does not empower women, understand women, or celebrate women. In so many ways, it reflects the systemic patriarchies of our nation: in issues of labor distribution, opportunities for advancement and recognition, and even bodily autonomy. I want that to change. And I want my work to contribute, in some way, toward that change.
In the american / woman project, I am collaborating with women dance artists from every state in the US. The project explores, through a dancer’s lens, possibilities for what it means to be a woman in America today. It also endeavors to platform the artistry of women-identifying dancers from across the country.
In so doing, I'm seeking to eschew the paternalistic hierarchy embedded in the choreographer/performer relationship of western concert dance, and to uplift other possibilities for making together. Each creative process is centered around the interests, identities, and desires of each respective artist, and has resulted in the creation of a solo or duet for live performance or film.
