 Okay, thank you so much for coming, thank you so much for coming, thank you so much for coming, thank you to everybody who is watching online. This is Moving the Map, where I'm going to introduce a co-editor of The Dancers' Citizen, which is an online scholarly open access journal, exploring the work of the Indian dance artist. And we are presenting The Dancers' Citizen live, coming to the Indian Map, which features the work of the artists in five different cities, and some of the themes that come up in the journal articles. So here at the last slide we're doing Moving Our Stories, a racer, resistance, and survival, with the story around advanced collective, featuring Taylor Bird, activist Charmaine Liddyfield, live music, so in further to what we're working on. And it's knowledge that we are situated here in Atlanta, which is the traditional and ancestral blend of the Chittisaw and the peeping people, and since our four themes are about a racer and a resistance, I just wanted to call that into the space today. We've been thinking about a racer and a resistance, particularly the ways in which communities, cultures, practices and spaces are at risk of a racer, and how embodied memory and movement can serve as a way to address that racer, how amplifications can be a remedy for a racer. And so what we're going to see today is this interactive exhibit that focuses on this year-long process of the work that we've been doing about these themes. So over here we have some of the facts by we're not at Irving, featuring a number of those stories around dance collectives. We have CNN-type fabric art by a Jude Charter 8th grade dance woman. And it connects to the amplification of a racer with the use of positive and negative states in life. So we're talking about it like, yes, we need to be back in this case. I'm so grateful that they shared that with us. We have been in a year-long process of trying to even feel that her remembering as a resistance mutually mapping the racer project, because we have her projection explanation. And as you go behind, it's like experiencing the racer space from the inside out. And so there's something from the wall that explains that a little bit further. But we kind of drive from the racer to visuals of the racer while also creating kind of a contemporary aesthetic around these ideas of racer amplification. The Great Challenge is a traditional spiritual practice, African American practice created on plantations. And so, yes, we've been trying from that and honoring the communities who still preserve and continue to practice this day. Over here we have a scent station. Of course, it is a different one. This is such a multi-sensory experience without smells. So we curated these smells that can amplify our memories through our community. We invited you to go over and check out some of these different smells and memories. And then right next to it, we have our word cloud. So when do you feel erased? When do you feel amplified? Can you share some of these thoughts? Write them on a post-it up ticket on the wall to create a word cloud if you're with people. And we would love to have that practice in a collective layer of meeting around this word. And we might pull some of your word from your thoughts into the movement later on in the performance. So, yeah. And then you move on to the floor underneath each one is a real prompt. And you just follow the instruction if you're willing, or if you've had a watch and see what happens. But it's meant to create this spontaneous collective movement to amplify space, amplify work presence in space. So this is where we're starting with this interactive existence. We're inviting you to kind of get up, go explore this space, read what's on the wall, try out things, share your words and thoughts. And then when you hear, okay, okay, start to play. That is your cue to again take your seat or we'll stand around and have kind of the movement and begin. We'll sort of grab this pleasant and then we're going to invite it back into the movement later on. So, before that, I've got statements. During what you're checking on the space, I would love for you to come this way. Over here, it's Mr. Will Feedons. Pick up this microphone and share some thoughts about your experience with this space. So I want to really share your thoughts about what amplification and erasure means to you, right? So that the folks who are watching online can get a percentage of what's happening in this space. Okay, so you all are really apart from this one. Okay, so to the exact, there's the movement, our collective movement, use it for me. Does that all make sense? Yes, yes. Okay, so there are bathrooms here and here and I hope, thank you. See, I'm holding this because if I forget, I know that I'm in trouble. Thank you. Two alternate routes for the artistic analysis. Funds from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Quora Foundation, Servers Foundation and Andrew Desumel Foundation and two of the answers to this thing for the generous support. Thank you to T.A. for facilitating the use of this space. Thank you to all the volunteers and the activists and our TV groups and everybody for helping to make this happen. And Mia, thank you. Thank you to all the collaborators and dancers and tourniquet and everybody and thank you to the audience for coming and being part of this. So I think that's our big dancer today. Thank you. At your discretion, try out this space. In fact, as I know, those who don't know, they've been trying to figure out this space. So you can try to figure it out. Thank you, thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. and we have it right now with us. We're going to start it up so that you can track down what's going on in the future. And so we want to encourage that everyone to check out what's happening right here. And they're following. These are the funds that we'll be carrying out. We're going to give them what they have at the side of the screen. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Top. Okay, now I see that everyone is still here. Okay. The followers are still here. No, it's not a problem. Okay, month. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You have to put your head down. That's crazy. I'm just kidding. I think your bra is not that bad. I'm so happy. I'm so happy. I'm so happy. Okay. But it's been pretty good. It's not bad. You have to put your head up. Put your head up. You have to put your head up. What can I say? I'm so happy. You have to step down. You have to put your head up. You have to step down. You have to step down. You have to step down. That's crazy. I'm doing it. It's so cool to see everyone in the stands experiencing the ring sound. It's so great to be apart. And we are lifting up the voices of those that weren't remembered. And now we're remembering them. It's so cool to see everyone in the stands. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. Music playing. And so that was kind of what was reflected here today. And throughout this year long process, we started to figure out what it feels like to follow each other, to mirror each other, to witness, just hold spaces of witness for each other, to do call and response and things like that. So I just wanted to kind of put that out there as that's the process. So I just wanted to add to what Julie said. Mirroring being a form of amplification. I see myself in the museum. And we amplify each other through that bond. And specifically for me as I was doing my part, there was amplification first. So the thought kind of comes to me as I'm moving and whatever I'm getting from, the energy that I'm getting from, okay, Corey right here. And then also thinking about this space, this idea of a ranger. And then in contrast with amplification. So I felt like I was going back and forth with those ideas. So they were sometimes going a little bit slow and thinking about that gesture. And then I would really, really amplify the movement. And I enjoyed watching that in my systems because I know that that happened to me. You know what I mean? For me, for the circle, the counterclockwise circle where we were, we looked like we were protecting each other's space as we danced inside of that. For me, kind of like Mika said, sometimes the movement would come first. It wasn't like, I think I'm going to do this movement right now because I want to express such a soul. Because it was that particular section is very improvisational. Just the feeling of being in one particular second of your body, that is such a liberating feeling. And then once I was in that process of liberating, I was like, oh, I was mad about something the other day. That's what I'm going to write. I'm just going to stay in this movement because this will allow me to express that even in just a few seconds. So that's so preplanned in terms of the intent of it. But just what comes out, allowing ourselves to amplify that in that space and feel safe in that space. And then each other, Jesus there. And then having each other bar that space while you're protecting the earth. Make an announcement about Charmaine who just left. She's walking out the door. She found her way to the Closing Exhibit of Black Angels. That's her exhibit at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. So once you're done here, go over there and check out her amazing work that's amplified by an ancestor in the Internet. But it's a really beautiful exhibit. It's super beautiful. And we are blessed to be featured in that exhibit as well. So she took some of these types of photographs and painted them. So images of us are inside of her exhibit in addition to some of the images that you see here on this. If you want to watch any of the other works that was happening today's Friday with the map and the other cities, and as mentioned before, go to DancersCitizen.org. And you will see it there in our lives. I think it's going to be over about four o'clock today, but you can go back any time. We have five of them here. We're going to show you this photograph. It says that we are going to have that photograph of the women who painted this in the field as you don't want to fool people. Isn't it so funny you say that because the way we came up with these movements, it was all fun pictures. We were like, hey, guys, five, six, seven, eight. It's so funny. And then it's like, oh, that was nice. It's really choreography. So yes and no. I did a piece that gave me a lot of great work. The gore is the color balance. It's going to be huge. I was born in Charleston, South Carolina. So that was one of the things that caused me to get up on the floor moving because you don't recognize it. I enjoyed the scene. And so I enjoyed that time. It's playing and I have to compare it. And so at first I was in your black house. But it was just giving me more of an experience as opposed to going to something else in particular, which all had a meaning to it. And I felt that because we're in the state here. And so musicians carry a lot of what I was given. They carry on. And then the audience, they're not aware of the audience. But just a bit. So thank you. Thank you. Oh, thank you. How long has it been? Well, last summer, last summer around this time last summer. About an hour. Yeah. So Sister Julie here was having some classes last summer. Some African diasporic and aesthetic classes. That's the best production. I don't know what you call them. Making our class the number one. Different people in the community were taking class too. And then we were like, let's keep dancing. Okay, let's keep dancing. We don't want to get together. Cool. Let's get together that day. So it's been about a year, Zaya. And we would get together about once a week. And we would dance for about a couple of hours. And you came to one of our sessions one time. And she had some really wonderful inputs. So I was going to say, and I'm going to get to you. So Baba, you were asking about how choreographed it was. So we had a map to it. Like we knew that this particular section in solos, this particular section will case this way. This section, you face each other. This section is a frenzy. This section is a this, that, and the other. And then there were sections inside of that that were improvisational and chumps of it that were choreographed. And that choreography was based on our collective improvisation inside of rehearsal. That sounds cool. I was assured. So since our trust went into this process for each of you are helping me to respond about trusting each other with that vulnerability in rehearsals, but also in this space together. Especially during the times of brain-holding the space on the other person. Just with them. One of the things that helped build that was not having an agenda every time we met. It's just allowing whatever we needed in a moment to happen. Whether it was I just have to talk about what happened today, my day today and sitting on the ground and just talking about stuff. Or I can't say anything today. I just have to move. I'm just going to watch y'all and pull the space. But then I don't think anybody ever did that. So having that really open flow allowed us to be open. I just feel like it just hasn't. Yeah, it's present when we're in organic and back in those moments. Because we're having people. Because we're having people present. And in the second, I think that there wouldn't be a cold day to be back. A couple days ago, this space has helped me in my outside life. So it's like this is more about the healing space and the space where you can go from me. That can be more vulnerable and more open and kind of let people in and kind of see me. So for me in the beginning, it was like I'm dancing like I'm the best student. I don't want to do it. Or hey, I have an idea. Hey, what do you think? I'm like, that's ugly. I had my own self doubt and threatened myself. So throughout this whole year, just kind of being with them, talking to them and having a voice and them literally amplifying me throughout the process. It's been really healing. And I was able to really open up more. Because you think, oh yeah, she's pretty open. Not for real, for real. It was just really nice to heal in this space and to see what trust is. And to allow myself to trust them. It was an experience for me. It was a process for me. So even like the ladies and people in the United States, I feel like people are in our house. Because I didn't help this race for so long with each other. And I was like, I don't want to bring people in. So for me to take a couple questions, I'm like, wow, I'm ready to bring people in. And I'm ready to tell people that. And really this space is really going to take me into that world. And I'm saying that world. We don't need to get out of here. And really be more vulnerable with myself. Be vulnerable with other people. Be able to trust myself. And I realize that I love to trust people because I love to trust myself. So I'm like, oh! I'm going to dance. You know what I'm saying? So I'm like a line about myself and trust. First of all, trust. Opening my circle of trust. So I'm going to start working with us. He was so mindful about entering this space. And I think it was pretty clear what we kind of had created. And I remember one of the questions you asked was like, you know, if the cello could be, if you could have a male energy, you could have a female energy, like what kind of energy are you wanting? And he just asked that question, which I just thought was so considerate. You know, that was the mindfulness which he had. Very much. And the cello itself is using, like it's so open to me. As I'm like, the way I feel it, it's just so open and there's space within the music to move around in. And yeah. I want to speak to trust real quick and they get my moment with this question. So I think that one of the things that helped to create a space of trust was that we don't really correct each other too much. It's not so much about your technique and whether you're, what is pointed or how high your leg is or how many turns you got. It's really just how that movement is able to come out through your body. Like we can't, we don't all have the same disabilities. I mean, we're able to compliment each other very well. But I remember something that I did and something Julie was like, oh my back doesn't do that. You know, like these are very, very file. And it worked really well. And you know, I was like, okay, well my knees don't really do that. So this judgment, just not having this judgment there, like having a really judgment free phone is really good. And then having a space where you can compliment each other so often. Like, I like that. You're like, really? You're like, yeah, I like that. And then to be able to tell each other why. I had one thing that I wanted to say, something else. So firstly, I was so proud of you for not being able to deal with me, right? Yes. You did see him. And here, obviously, he just shows how you all allowed yourself to be best at creating a space for each other, creating a space for us. So there were maybe a banana in there. So thank you for giving another space to give us a space to experience that and then come out and share it in a great way. And then I thought, you're welcome. Did you score this? Oh, you didn't provide it right along with it, was it music? It was just simultaneously. Wow, thank you. So the process that we used to create the choreography is the same process that I used to create music. So usually what happens is I take a long time to set up. They start moving. And by the time I'm set up, I'm ready to go. I just jump into something. It's usually not something I've written. It's usually just a baseline or an interior part. And they start moving to it. And then there's this kind of give and take. So like, oh, look, I like that. Do that again. So I play that part again. I try and add to it. And then sometimes I forget. I'm like, oh, I don't have my number. Typically we would have a video tape. So that was helpful. So we would improvise, sound to the movement, or the movement would sometimes come from the sound. And then we'd look at it. Oh, I like that. But in all honesty, I don't think we really nailed down more pieces of music until the last verse. Correct. So some of the movement I think had already been choreographed. And I've been playing to some of it probably over the last few months. But I think we just decide, oh, I like that. Can you make sure that you can do that again? And so that's what we do. And I would say 60% of all the songs are written. And then the remaining 40% is responsive and improvised. And hoping to kind of catch the movements. There's such graceful answers that I'm usually like two phrases behind, like, oh! Improvisational process would be even more important. A process that required that I was present and really paying attention. And then, that's certainly a question. But just a couple of comments. I'm a super animal. So that's how I found out about music. It's just how the universe brings you to where you're supposed to be. And I just felt a lot of love and light here. I invite you to continue to explore. Check out the inside out. This sounds pretty behind there. Add your thoughts to our word cloud. While that's happening, we're going to be breaking down the space because we can't stay in here past today. So just know that's happening around you. There's still refreshments out in the other studio. Please enjoy. I will not be taking any food home. So just, yeah, please share all those. Enjoy all those snacks. Watch the flexible livestream. Dancerscitizens.org. Everything will be archived there. And yeah, if you have any other questions about anything, reach out. I have a quick comment. Yes. So 75% of them are due this month. While some members of EY and Monster are getting ready to come and start rehearsing in a little while. But I just want to tell you what we're rehearsing for. So we're rehearsing for our 25th year anniversary concert. July 14th. July 14th, we're going to be performing at the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center over on the House of the Campus. And we'll have a gala and award ceremony before that and a performance and anything at day to time. And we just want to invite you all out to see the All Sister Dance Profession and vocal ensemble. Just some of the kind of where some of us are dancing from. And Julie is so freaking awesome. As like incredibly creative, intellectually minded and like grown and mature and expressive and like artistically evolved as she is. You know she comes and takes EY and lots of classes. She's like, I love this with you all and it just felt so organic and clean and smooth just to work with you this whole year. So I just want to just give you some of my shake. Thank you.