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...that's what she said is the hallmark of Lady BOS Productions. This all-femme production provides support to intergenerational femme-identifying dancers and dance makers through peer-mentored critical response workshops, community outreach programs, interdisciplinary events and performance opportunities. |
In a time of a heated social and political discourse, Wagner used both diversity and common identity in the creation of art capable of meaningfully adding to that conversation, within one particular issue – diversity in the uniqueness of every involved choreographer and dancer, and common identity in self-identifying as female.
- Kathryn Boland, Dance Informa
...THAT's WHAT SHE SAID (the culminating performance)
...that's what she said is an evening of contemporary and burlesque dances rooted in the feminine experience. For decades, we have found ourselves at a crossroads for gender equality. Today, social media has enabled long-standing gender discussions to sweep across the country with new force via movements such as #metoo, #timesup, and #askhermore. Yet all the while there remains a firm wall of fear and resistance that threatens our ability to progress, to understand, and to come together. Now is the time to shed an inner light on shared experiences; to find likeness and to attend to the awareness of self. With ...that’s what she said, Lady BOS Productions has been invited femme dance artists to mine their personal narratives, histories, and lineages, and to physicalize their experience. The intimate works created each celebrate the unique and dynamic force of the feminine voice.
I was struck by the passion and commitment of all the artists who presented diverse and nuanced examples of the female experience… The theater was full of enthusiastic art-goers and the atmosphere crackled with energy and anticipation. As a producer/creator, Kristin had obviously done in-depth work to bring these people together… I am eager to see what she does next.
- David Parker, The BANG Group (NYC)
The 2019 and 2018 TWSS artist cohorts included: I.J. Chan, Andrew Genova, Reina Gold, Jennifer Lin, Audrey MacLean, Jenny Oliver, Jenna Pollack, DeAnna Pellecchia, Nailah Randall-Bellinger, Sarah Thorne, Nattie Trogdon, Aysha Upchurch, Kristin Wagner, and Vanessa White.
Photos by Gabriel Rizzo/Golden Lion Photography
PEER MENTORSHIP
Each season, Lady BOS Productions invites a select cohort of femme choreographers to create or reimagine works over a period of 5 months. These works are presented in the culminating ...that's what she said performance after a series of peer-mentored critical response workshops. Peer mentorship is central to the curatorial philosophy of Lady BOS Productions. We believe that greater artistry is gained by creating environments where artists exchange on multiple levels in mutually supportive ways. In curating people, rather than product, we collectively build a safe and supportive space that allows for thoughtful exploration of dance making and respectful critique and dialogue. These sessions encourage curiosity, inquiry, and experimentation while building relationships between the presenting artists. The resulting art is robust and intimate, creating an atmosphere that engages and touches audience on a deeply personal level.
February 2018 ...that's what she said showing; Photos by Timothy Avery Photography
community outreach programs
New in 2019, Lady BOS Productions hosted a series of intergenerational community workshops called Pass the Mic!. Facilitated by Aysha Upchurch, these workshops encouraged participants to reflect on specific moments and experiences in their lives and explore these memories through writing and movement. Through guided improvisation and movement generation strategies, participants embodied personal narratives through movement and dance, thus supporting senses of empowerment and ownership over one's story.
This program was hosted at the Curley K-8 School, a Boston Public School in Jamaica Plain, with support from the Boston Cultural Council's Boston Opportunity Fund, managed by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture. Students' creations over the course of the program were documented and presented as a pre-performance film screening at the culminating ..that's what she said performance on March 30, 2019.
Lady BOS Productions hosted an open community format of Pass the Mic! at Green Street Studios on March 24, 2019. This free workshop welcomed a dozen dancers, poets, and arts enthusiasts ages 15-82.
Plans are in place to create sustained educational programming in this format for the 2019-2020 season.
This program was hosted at the Curley K-8 School, a Boston Public School in Jamaica Plain, with support from the Boston Cultural Council's Boston Opportunity Fund, managed by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture. Students' creations over the course of the program were documented and presented as a pre-performance film screening at the culminating ..that's what she said performance on March 30, 2019.
Lady BOS Productions hosted an open community format of Pass the Mic! at Green Street Studios on March 24, 2019. This free workshop welcomed a dozen dancers, poets, and arts enthusiasts ages 15-82.
Plans are in place to create sustained educational programming in this format for the 2019-2020 season.
March 2019 Pass the Mic! at Green Street Studios; Photos by Olivia Moon Photography/@halfasianlens
The 2019 production of ...that's what she said has received support from Boston Moving Arts Productions, the Boston Cultural Council, The Dance Complex, Green Street Studios, Olivia Moon Photography, Revolution Flying Trapeze School, Steady Guglietti Precision Painting, and Winter Hill Brewing Company.
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Top cover photo: "Seagulls & Phoenixes" choreographed by DeAnna Pellecchia, image by Gabriel Rizzo/Golden Lion Photography
