Full Circle Dance Company Presents
A Woman's Place: Power, Passion, Purpose
Concert Highlights Women who Stepped Up, Stood Out, and Pushed Back
Harriet Tubman, Marie Curie, Maya Angelou, Mother Teresa, Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan. Each of these famous women shook the world, breaking barriers and defying expectations. The names Wendy Kopp, Hildegard of Bingen, and Ruth Handler may not be as well known, but all three of these women challenged entrenched ideas to make an impact.
On November 5 and 6, Baltimore’s Full Circle Dance Company will tell their stories in A Woman’s Place: Power, Passion, Purpose. The performance is the dramatic culmination of a yearlong choreographic exploration of the lives of women who have driven change. With diverse movement styles, stunning costumes, and an incredible range of music, eight choreographers will bring the stories of these groundbreaking pioneers vividly to life on the stage.
What drove Marie Curie to persevere in her dangerous work in an environment of disrespect? How did Maya Angelou’s experience as a civil rights activist, artist, and dancer inform her work as a writer? What motivated Mother Teresa to take actions others deemed impossible and hopeless? What can we learn from the complicated legacy of Ruth Handler, inventor of the Barbie doll? How were perceptions of Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan shaped by stereotypes about beauty? How did the medieval nun Hildegard break all the rules to become the most famous woman of her time? What makes education pioneer Wendy Kopp think she can fix America’s failing schools? These are some of the fascinating questions explored in this riveting performance.
Of particular interest to Maryland audiences will be a work inspired by the life of Harriet Tubman, who helped more than 70 slaves escape through the state. Award-winning choreographer and Full Circle Artistic Director Donna Jacobs will create the piece, using dancers of various ages and backgrounds to reflect the realities of travel on the Underground Railroad. “Harriet Tubman is such a towering figure for me,” Jacobs reflected, “and I have wanted for a very long time to tell her story through dance. This project about the power of women propelled me forward. I hope this work will really mean something to our local audience. These events happened here in Maryland, among our ancestors, and in our cities and towns and countryside. They matter.”
2016 marks Full Circle Dance Company’s 16th year of presenting professional modern dance in Baltimore and throughout the region. The company performs frequently by invitation in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC, and has also performed in Arizona, Tennessee, Ohio, Connecticut, and New York. Since 2004, Full Circle has explored in depth themes selected for their relevance to the community, often incorporating community participation in the creative process.
For media inquiries, to arrange interviews, to attend a press rehearsal, or for photographs or video clips, please contact Liz Pelton, [email protected], 410-257-9350. Click here to purchase tickets.
Full Circle Dance Company
