Woman in Motion celebrates its fifth season, The 5th Movement, at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater this June. The New York City-based project company welcomes nine choreographers and eight dancers to celebrate this unification of dance, art and joy.
The company’s co-founders, Laura Kaufman and Rachel Thalman, founded the company in 2022, when they felt that opportunities were scarce for dancers coming out of the pandemic. Feeling like “maybe it was [their] turn to create a safe space,” they decided to embark on a new endeavor. Both directors felt called to cultivate a group of dancers that were well-versed in a multitude of styles, rather than focusing on one particular style of movement. “They don’t have to fit a mold, but we can cater to the dancers themselves and let them shine,” Kaufman states. And so after taking class together for many years, and a singular coffee date, Woman in Motion was created. They set out to create an environment shaped by collaboration and driven by creativity.
The root of the company’s mission is to celebrate artistic individuality, of both the dancers and choreographers alike. Kaufman comments on the fact that we all “feel like our best selves when we are seen as an individual.” The forefront of the company’s ethos is to allow dancers to feel fully seen, their artistic strength fully visible. Both directors spend time carefully making sure that dancers feel this support throughout the entire season. All dancers are in the same number of pieces each show, moving away from a sense of hierarchy and into a place of community. Small details add up to make a big difference — making sure that dancers feel comfortable and happy in their costumes is another way in which the directors put the dancers first. Additionally, both the co-directors perform in the show alongside the dancers. This gives them the chance to experience the choreographers and rehearsal process in a similar magnitude as the dancers. “We are feeling it internally, not just externally,” Kaufman says. This is a key example in which a sense of ranking is diminished, and rather, a sense of care is at the core. Thalman adds that they want the space to be “the best it can be” for all collaborators involved. Woman in Motion serves as a model for the dance community on how advantageous it can be to make the dancers’ well-being a priority.
During this fifth season celebratory performance, both Thalman and Kaufman hope that audience members leave with a sense of delight after watching the show. Thalman comments on the fact that audience members “leap out of their seats at the end of a show,” and she feels fortunate their performances evoke such positive feelings. Many of the audience members are friends and family members of the choreographers and company members who are filled with excitement to watch the dancers succeed on stage. Kaufman describes the fact that one often “loses the sense of what it means to be alive” in our current society where we are deeply attached to technology in all its forms. Kaufman hopes that the show will be able to serve as a platform for individuals to feel alive, to experience all of the various emotions that unfold when we see live art. “We need more art and we need to be creating now more than ever before,” says Kaufman. “If we can inspire just one person to do that, I think we have succeeded.”
In these next five years, the company’s leaders hope to continue putting more art out into the world and increase their resources and capacity. They dream of spending longer amounts of time in the studio with higher pay, more rehearsals and additional shows. Kaufman and Thalman also hope to be able to participate in more residencies and festivals which will allow them to broaden their outreach and widen their audiences. Woman in Motion hires mainly female-identifying choreographers. Showcasing female voices feels incredibly important to both directors. They strive for the company to be used as an example of what is possible for female choreographers, curating a space where there are ample resources and artistic freedom. Thalman feels proud of what they have built, although sometimes “it doesn’t feel like there are enough hours in the day,” she comments, as they explore how to use their limited time and busy schedules to their advantage.
What sets this company apart is their strong and deep desire for collaboration, for community and for the shared experiences of joy through dance. Kaufman and Thalman are a powerful duo who are able to manage the company alongside a host of outside jobs, dance projects and responsibilities. They each put their unique skill and talents to good use and that creates a duo, one that is both dynamic and balanced. Thalman is incredibly organized, with spreadsheets and calendars that maintain the company structure. Kaufman is the visionary; “I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer,” she states. This division of work has been incredibly beneficial to the company. They both enjoy the deeply collaborative nature of the work. There is a tendency to get “lost in your own world,” Thalman comments, when trying to run a project on your own. Having a creative partner has proven to be helpful, providing a space to brainstorm, create and generate material. This partnership has been key to the success of the company. “We are so much stronger together,” says Thalman.
Woman in Motion’s The Fifth Movement at Ailey Citigroup Theater running from June 13-15, will be a celebration of the company, an honoring of the past four years, and a time to relinquish to the gift of dance.
For tickets and more information, visit www.womaninmotion.org/upcoming-events.
By Rachel Marchica of Dance Informa.
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