I'm collaborating for the second time with an award-winning choreographer to produce my latest project, Cautionary Tales: A Reflection on 2025 Through Words and Movement, slated for performance next month. Based on historical facts, the works include dystopian takes on dubious policies enacted by the current Administration.
I'm also developing a hybrid chapbook comprised of monologues, short stories, and poetry from the performance, including a revised edition of a poem that won a top finalist award in the 2023 Writer's Digest poetry competition. Dance theatre, defined as a theatrical performance that integrates movement with other theatrical elements like the spoken word, dialogue, and visual techniques, is a genre unto itself.
I've spent a lot of time on the learning curve formatting this chapbook, diving deep into book-fold page layouts and cover design. But it's not like I wasn't aware that the process can be tedious and time-consuming. While this chapbook is my first, it won't be my last. The effort I've put into it will prove handy for future publications like the collection of humor pieces I've been planning for some time now.
As the suppression of our First Amendment rights plays out in real-time, several creative industries have come under attack. Our dance studio is not immune. Sadly, the artistic director has received vicious slanderous accusations, causing him to cancel much-needed advertising.
Attempts to rescind our constitutional rights make this production even more relevant. Cautionary Tales is my contribution to shining a light on dangerous policies being implemented throughout this country. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic that we, as a Nation, will ultimately get through this saga with our democracy intact.