Maddie Prokop, Alex Seager, & Lyndsay Sorg “Milwaukee through Embodied Research”
Mentor: Simone Ferro, Dance

Our communities are our home. The stories within them our brick and mortar, the voices within them the foundation. Art helps to solidify these aspects, aids in making sure the foundation stays strong and the walls remain upright, certifies that voices are heard. With this idea, under the direction of Simone Ferro, three students from the Department of Dance have visited the area of Sherman Park consistently for the past year. There, while collaborating with community leaders and bonding with locals, the team of artists contributed in event planning and participated in various projects such as gardening and community maintenance, working actively to restore art within the neighborhood. With these outreaches, the students performed site-specific works on various plots of land and inside Tricklebee Café with the goal of sharing their craft, similarly holding local “Hip Hop Jams” to provide a chance to come together and move. Originally, the team planned to present their collected work via a presentation on-site; with a four-wall projection, the dancers would perform in front of footage taken from their outreach. These videos consist of site-specific performances in both public (such as community parks) and private (such as the front porches of community members) spaces. Due to recent circumstances, however, the ultimate usage of technology in the final product will be more present—the dancers will situate themselves in their homes, broadcasting both the videos from the past and performing in the present to encompass a similar set-up as the original. Despite the new limitations set, this opportunity to come together demonstrates the power our stories have and the strength of the homes we’ve built, showcasing a community where the voices won’t crumble.