Who is considered a dancer? Whose bodies are valued?
From 2003-2015, I had the privilege of working with the intergenerational dance company Dance Generators in Northampton, MA–first as a dancer, then as the artistic director (2006-2014), and throughout as a choreographer.
Committed to challenging notions about who is a dancer and whose bodies belong on stage, the company brought together dancers in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. A core company of 10-15 dancers trained weekly and prepared a season of new dances each year featuring choreographies by both company members and guest choreographers and improvisations that showcased the deep relationships built between company members.
Founded by Amie Dowling in 1997, Dance Generators (East) toured widely to schools, community centers, senior facilities, and theatrical venues across New England. While Dance Generators (East) disbanded in 2015, a second Dance Generators company (Dance Generators West) continues on in California in the Department of Performing Arts and Social Justice at the University of San Francisco where Amie Dowling now teaches.
Photos by Christopher Golden, Veronica Reinert, Kikuye Sugiyama, Moti Zemmelman