Community Project to Honor Mothers Yields Powerful New
Dance Premiere in Baltimore

Gather the stories of Baltimoreans young and old, of women about to become mothers and of men who have lost mothers, of mothers who have seen their children flourish and of those who have suffered along with their children. Let those stories inspire movement, and what do you get? A new work of art that speaks a language we all understand.

On October 22, 2005, Full Circle Dance Company will present Motherhood, Memories, and Movement, an evening of dance at the Baltimore Museum of Art. At the center of this performance will be the premiere of a new dance, funded in part by a grant from the city of Baltimore.* This new work of art grows from a fascinating series of free community workshops designed to give Baltimore citizens a hand in the creation of meaningful choreography.

Earlier this summer, residents of a local nursing home shared with 12 professional dancers stories pulled from the past that resonate today. They spoke of mothers who worked hard yet still had time to dance the shim sham shimmy, mothers who instilled values in their children in the face of hardship, mothers who could command a household without raising a voice, mothers whose proud bearing and grace is remembered through the decades. In separate workshops, expectant mothers at Maryland General Hospital shared their worries and thoughts with humor and hope. And members of the public shared stories of the unique ways their own mothers shaped their worlds. Baltimore choreographer Donna L. Jacobs has drawn on all of these stories and movements provided by the community and on her own experiences to create a totally original work for Full Circle Dance Company.

In addition to the premiere, Full Circle will present other works by local and visiting choreographers that speak to themes related to motherhood. Baltimore based poet, dancer, and choreographer Amanda Fair presents the Baltimore premiere of Still I Rise, a physically and emotionally powerful dance that examines grief and recovery after the loss of a mother. Travis Gatling’s primal, spiritual work Inner Rites is inspired in part by his mother’s daily joys and burdens as she raised seven children. In Motherless Child, local choreographer Garry Dunn’s sweeping movements overlay Sweet Honey in the Rock’s moving rendition of the classic song. Gatling’s Strange Fruit, performed by a real-life mother and daughter, illuminates a mother’s desire to shield her child from the cruelties of the world. Worthy is a glorious dance of praise that celebrates all mothers who find inspiration and peace in religious faith.

This evening of dance is designed to recognize and honor the work of motherhood and to celebrate mothers everywhere. It is especially appropriate for people aged 10 to110 and for anyone who has ever had or been a mother.

For media inquiries, please call Liz Pelton, Full Circle Dance Company, 410-467-0989, liz.pelton@fullcircledance.org

MOTHERHOOD, MEMORIES, AND MOVEMENT
An Evening of Dance
October 22, 2005, 7:00 pm
Baltimore Museum of Art
Tickets $15
To purchase tickets: 410-235-9003

*This performance is made possible through the generous support of Mayor Martin O'Malley and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts and the Maryland State Arts Council. Views and opinions expressed by the artists/grantees are not necessarily those of the aforementioned.