roots of loving us.

We are excited to share with you Roots of Loving Us exploring intersections of choreography, social justice, somatic ecology, and the adoption system. This innovative research initiative aims to shed light on the complex dynamics between choreography, social justice, somatic ecology, and the experiences of individuals within the adoption system.

The adoption system plays a significant role in shaping the lives of millions of individuals globally. However, this system is not without its challenges, particularly concerning issues of identity, belonging, and societal perceptions. By integrating the creative medium of choreography with social justice advocacy and the principles of somatic ecology, this project seeks to provide a unique platform for exploring and addressing these complexities.

We hope that the process will be able to support various residencies so we can engage with children, adoptees, LGBTQ+, bi-racial, trans-racial, single parent, foster families, descendants of adoption, and families without offspring to create a polyphonic work that encompasses the true plurality of creating and raising a family and in turn, developing a community. “It takes a village to raise a child” is a common idiom, that offers us a glimpse into how many people it truly takes to create a family, yet we have excluded or ignored any relationship structure that does not conform to the traditional mainstream eurocentric american idea of family: a mom and dad in a heterosexual, monogamous relationship, 2 and a half kids and a white picket fence. This concept is narrow, limiting, and untrue for the majority of history, and we hope to highlight how wide the spectrum of experiences of family truly exist and thrive. Which is why it is indispensable to offer multiple residencies of workshops and in-process showings throughout the creation period, so the community can witness and engage with the work at every step of the process, as an integral collaborator.

“Roots of Loving Us” is dedicated to exploring the 21st Century family and their home lives and uplifting these stories and lived experiences. We are grounding our conversations around adoption and foster care as examples of bioadaptive families with diverse ancestries as well as chosen families and families retaining cultural and/or racial homogeneity. We are combating the systems that tether family or children to an economy of dollars - the belief that we need the right job, enough money, stability. What if the ideal conditions for “family-ing” was love? We are interested in the familial structure but also how and where they live. How do their conditions impact how they can thrive as families and communities?