- Martha Brim
- Monday, March 09, 2020
In this ripe moment, full of potential, March 2020, in Columbia, South Carolina, where the azaleas are blooming unusually early, I, a woman dance artist who has forged her artistic career in this southern state for over 30 years, am mid-way through an artist residency at Richland Library.
I came to SC to be a professor of dance at Columbia College, an all-women’s school. My main mission was to teach aspiring dance artists to claim and express their own voices through physical movement, and to always know that every body dances.
In this ripe moment, full of potential, March 2020, when it seems that our rights are more at risk than we could have imagined just a few years back, when the possibility of a woman in the White House drifts further from reach, and women continue to fight politicians for personal sovereignty over our own bodies, I persist. And, nevertheless, I remain hopeful and grateful.
So, in this moment, full of potential, in March, the month that comes in like a lion and is National Women’s History Month, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and to shine a light on five of the lionesses who have inspired and supported me.
Mary Robinson
Visual artist Mary Robinson is known for her art based on keen and insightful observation of patterns in nature. Mary is professor of art at USC and head of the printmaking department. Currently she is exploring new territory, creating natural dyes from plants that she grows herself. Here’s a link to Mary’s website. Also, here is a short film about a project in Norway Mary was involved in, conserving cultural meaning in a seed archive.
The Power Company Collaborative
Known for commitment to diversity and pushing the boundaries of dance as an art form, The Power Company Collaborative is a collective of dance artists whose work is rooted in the modern dance tradition. The foundation of their process is in movement improvisation, sourcing from somatic practices and feminist educational approaches. To all of the PoCoCo women (and a few men) I have had the pleasure of creating with, thank you for your inspiration. Here is PoCoCo’s website.
Betsy Newman
I admire nothing more than an artist who makes her art for the greater good of humanity. Betsy Newman is one of those artists. As a documentary filmmaker Betsy promotes social justice and stands up for the rights of all people, creating educational resources to illuminate history and injustice. Learn about Reconstruction 360, an educational resource about Reconstruction history directed by Betsy. “Charlie’s Place,” is a documentary film by Betsy about an African American owned nightclub in Myrtle Beach during the segregation era.
EboniRamm
Vocal expression excites me. I am intrigued by the potential singing can offer to expand the palette of physical expression. I am thrilled to join in a teaching venture at Richland Library with vocalist, Eboni Ramm on March 22. Check out her website.
Stacey Milner Collins
To me life is art. I find my spiritual home in the body. My yoga physical practice and studies in yoga philosophy are constant and powerful influences. Stacey Milner Collins is my original and consistent teacher, and she has cultivated a community of like-minded people through yoga. Here is a link to her beautiful studio in Five Points.
March on sisters!