Presented by Ergo/Movement

They Say a Lady Was the Cause of It is an evening-length dance production, that embodies a contemporary exploration of agency, identity, intimacy, and relationships. The eleven dancers performing in this work will be accompanied by live, original music, composed and performed by Matt LaRocca, along with three additional musicians. Vocals will be performed by Roxanne Vought, and Allison and Cameron Steinmetz.

Inspired, in part, by Orlando, by Virginia Woolf, and Undine Geht by Ingeborg Bachmann, this work examines the complexities of gender roles imposed by society, as well as the fight to reclaim individual narratives and rewrite what society has prescribed. The eleven dancers performing in this work contribute their own narratives and voices to this important conversation.

This exploration occurs in two parts;

Part 1: The Dinner Party

This piece exists as a framework or a setting, in which much of the content is created by the performers themselves. In keeping with the tradition of Tanztheater, a dance form born out of German Expressionism, this work is an exploration of individual experience and emotion, in which the performers will make use of theatrical methods (set, props, costumes), and will intentionally reference reality in the creation process.

Part 2, The Wet Frontier Between Me and Me

This is a raw and physical work, in which the performers contend with themselves, as they negotiate more directly their relationships with each other and with the audience.

For more information about the performance visit https://jessieowens.com/they-say-a-lady.