Over the past two years a dance has been pursuing me. It has been circling my mind. It demands its full flesh. In order to feed the beast, I need your support both financially and energetically.

The piece started to take shape with the development of a dance theater piece, Restless Night, in 2014. I dove into the depths of intimacy and relationship with three intrepid performers and we came up with a few glistening pearls for our efforts. After showing those, I left New York and spent a year traveling. In my journeying I had the good fortune to visit Place of Refuge, an ancient Hawaiian site on the Big Island (pictured above). This place brought the next layer of complexity to this embryonic dance.

In the past, Place of Refuge was a safe space where those who had broken the law could be absolved and where non-combatants stayed during times of war. It was a sacred site for forgiveness and peace. This sanctuary reminded me of the ways we facilitate peace in contemporary communities. We build shelters, conduct rituals and cultivate relationships that allow us to flourish free from harm. We also fail to care for each other. We inflict violence on each other. The dance begs the questions: What is safety? What is violence? What is peace?

These questions have become increasingly important in light of current events. My way of meditating on them is by making and sharing dance. I believe that art is a deeply radical way to process the experience of being alive. I believe that making dance is one of the most ancient, immediate and sacred creative practices that exists. Our relationships and our communities are healthier when we move together, and when we witness that movement. To this end I have charged myself with the responsibility of fleshing out the questions posed by this dance but in order to do so, I need your help.