Chosen Oceans

Commissioned Piece for Barnard College/Columbia University
Performed at ‘Barnard/Columbia Dances’ at New York Live Arts, November 17-19, 2022

In the fall of 2022, I created ‘Chosen Oceans’ in collaboration with eight beautiful young dancers whose artistry I happily watched evolve over two short months, and whose bodies I witnessed melting and flowing, like water, into the work we made together. Together we wove our varying and not always dissimilar ideas and images of family, home (chosen or otherwise), and home-going (or ocean-going) into this piece—ideas that, for me, have become inseparable from loss.

The movement and music were choreographed and composed in tandem, live inside the Barnard College Dance Department’s ballet studios, in collaboration with New York-based composer, upright bassist and vocalist Carmen Q. Rothwell, who performed her music live at all four performances.

Choreography: Tiffany Mangulabnan in collaboration with the dancers
Musical Composition and Live Performance: Carmen Q. Rothwell
Dancers: Kaitlyn Dal Bon, Mia Generoso, Tatiana Heintz, Nicholas Meyers, Olivia Théard, Camila Vicioso, Hannah Wineinger, Katherine Zhao
Costume Design: Barbara Erin Delo
Lighting Design: HaeJin Han
Videography: Nel Shelby

Performance video courtesy of Barnard College

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