The Suffrage Project
Photo: Doug MicMinimy of company dancers in Zephyr Unfolding the final section of Sadie Weinberg’s Reimagining Suffrage Suite
The universal right to vote is paramount to a healthy democracy. To honor the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote in 1920, LITVAKdance created a series of solos inspired by San Diego Pioneer women to tour to county libraries. When Covid-19 put a stop to live performance, LITVAKdance turned The Suffrage Project into an exciting online journey that asks the question, “What is suffrage in the year 2020?” The project has now blossomed from four orignial, pre-covid solos to twelve. In each solo the dancers consider their own histories and stories while honoring historical figures, both well known and obscure, that showed courage during their lifetimes. We encourage you to scroll through this project and discover stories that may just remind you how valuable your own voice is to our democracy.
The Suffrage Project through The Eyes of Visual Artist, Wren Polansky
As a part of The Suffrage Project, we worked with visual artist Wren Polansky whose art delves deeper into the history of the five women from San Diego County that reframe the way we think of our region.
In October 2021, at our first live presentation of the Suffrage solos and their accompanying artworks at the Borrego Springs Library, Wren felt it imperative to acknowledge and honor the native women that suffered unspeakable trauma during this time of westward expansion. To the right is one of two works Wren made to honor the Kumeyaay women who lived on and cared for these lands for generations before the Europeans arrived.
“For the Kumeyaay”
To learn more about this work and all of the work Wren made as a part of The Suffrage project click here
In honor of front line workers putting their own lives at risk during this current Pandemic we begin our story with…
Dot Smelser, Fallbrook
Watch Dot’s Last Exhale and learn more about Dot here
We continue with…
Eileen O’Connor, Anza Borrego
Watch Eileen in the Desert and learn more about Eileen here
Followed by….
America Newton, Julian
Watch America’s View and learn more about America here
María Amaparo Ruíz de Burton, Jamul
Watch María’s Place and learn more about María here.
Eliza “Jenny” Scripps, La Jolla
Watch Eliza’s Room and learn more about Eliza here
Woman: Unraveling, Every woman
This solo begins our journey into a more expansive view of what suffrage means 100 years after women were granted the right to vote in the United States.
watch Woman: Unraveling and more stories:
The Suffrage Project: Expanded
The Reimagining Suffrage Suite
Included in this online project we will also be sharing 3 sections of LITVAKdance artistic director Sadie Weinberg’s Reimagining Suffrage Suite, a suite of dances that really ingnited LIVAKdance’s Suffrage Project.
Give Back Through Movement:
A recent feature on LITVAKdance in the April issue of L’Chaim Magazine that we think does a great job talking about the Reimagining Suffrage Suite and The Suffrage Project.
Written by: Eva Trieger.
Photo Credit: Doug McMinimy of Sarah Emmons and Erica Ruse in Zephyr Unfolding.
Check out the article here . (pg. 20-21)
From The Reimagining Suffage Suite (part 1):
considering the difference between stillness and waiting
Performed by Beverly Johnson and April Tra. Choreographed by Sadie Weinberg with the performers. Music: iTMOi: Sacrifice by Jocelyn Pook and other artists. Videography: Ernesto Gonzalez. Photography: Doug McMinimy.
Originally commissioned to be a part of Michael Mizerany’s production Tryst at Diversionary Theater in San Diego, the duet is based on Arthur Schnitzler’s 1897 work, La Ronde. Using sexual encounters as a backdrop, Schnitzler’s work is a commentary on the social stratifications in a changing Vienna. “For me the take-away in Schlintlzer’s play is the yearning for human connection across boundaries of class, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith or any other human fabrication. In creating the work, the dancers and I researched photographs from the 1890’s and were struck by the profound lack of emotion. Ultimately, we were left with many questions about the relationships between the subjects. The dance, and the music by Jocelyn Pook, speak to the desire for love and companionship regardless of boundary, a theme that has taken on a new meaning during the current quarantine when human contact has become something to be feared.” —Sadie Weinberg.