song of myself

​This dance considers who we are by ourselves and who we are in community with one another. What layers of identity do we carry, and how do they shift in context? How do we, as a group, make space for individuals to thrive as their authentic selves? The movement ebbs and flows, dancers shift in and out of contact, energy rises confidently or hesitates in uncertainty. As solo moments unveil complex voices, the dance asks us to hold - full to the brim - everything that defines us both apart from and inextricably connected to one other.

The choral arrangement, composed by modern day queer artist Stuart Beatch, uses text from Walt Whitman’s 1855 poem, “Song of Myself”. Both the original text and modern arrangement communicate an enduring theme of self-expression, identity, and self-acceptance.

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Beatch: "The text...is lush and fierce. It speaks not only of individuality and expression, but of sexuality and gender. This piece highlights the strength inherent in the text, beginning and ending with repetition of the words ‘I am’, eventually transformed into a statement of empowerment: 'I am enough'."