A Brief History of My Belly
I choreographed this solo dance while in residency at Headlong Performance Institute’s dance studios in Philadelphia, PA for the first week of January, 2020. I worked with brilliant dramaturges and close confidantes Grace Mi-He Lee and David Brick to delve deeper into ideas from Come To Me (Now That I’m Back). The resulting dance will later be incorporated into a full length piece together with Come To Me (Now That I’m Back). I performed an extended version of A Brief History of My Belly in New York at Movement Research’s Open Performance on January 28, 2020. I was also able to workshop it in NACHMO Boston’s critical feedback session, and perform it (as shown here) at the Somerville Armory on February 8, 2020, presented by National Choreographer’s Month Boston.
This dance prioritizes what are still, even in the 21st century, essentially private realms of the female experience. Through a healthy and embodied, rather than idealized, representation of mature womanhood in my dances, I engage the audience’s imagination: Who are we today? How am I connected to what I see? How do I feel about it? This sort of inquiry is relevant to a much wider sector than the fine arts and performance world.
A Brief History of My Belly intimately invites the audience in to witness the experience of exposing my belly, with all its history. I breathe with the layered emotions, awkwardness, and vulnerability this sharing provokes in me, for all of us together. It considers intimate, personal relationships between my memory and the present, and my body and the audience. This dance prioritizes presence to reveal connections that change over time.
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TURN VOLUME UP HIGH!
A Brief History Of My Belly, Choreographed and Performed by Jessica Roseman Performed at Somerville Armory, MA, February 8, 2020, Presented by NACHMO Boston
Videographer: Brittany Kubicko
“I was quite touched by your work. I watched your piece three times and felt it more deeply with each viewing. As a parent, I was moved by your words and your movements. I was inspired by your honesty, and the depth of the experiences you were sharing. The piece is quite strong.”
— Chris Aiken, MFA Director, Smith College Dance