Weave

Photo by Imranda Ward. Image by Rosy Simas. McKnight Fellowships/MANCC Residency 2018. From the Weave website (referenced below).

This is not a "review" per se, because unless you are heading to Alabama, or Hawaii, or Philadelphia, or DC soon, you had one chance to see Weave here, and that was on January 12 (but, judging by the number of people I knew that I saw there, you might indeed have been there.)

It's much more a commentary. I've known Rosy for a long time, and every now and then I'm lucky enough to be able to help her out by reading over a grant or running some financials for her, which makes me feel like I am doing the tiniest bit to help her have time and space to create. But I have to admit that it gave me a real chill along my spine to stand in the back of the Ordway lobby and have one of the panelists in the pre-show discussion talk about "Rosy's style" and "body of work." Because she's gotten to the place where both of those things are in true, fully-formed existence, and are important kinds of art to have in the world.

But that chill was nothing compared to the performance, which started in the lobby and led us into the theater (the Ordway ushers had NO idea what to make of that, but were game to try), and then immersed us into a world that was part dance and part meditative headspace. And then, after an intermission, brought us into several smaller places, each equally important. Definitely both a style and a body of work.

And let me also say that what Rosy does, as a native, feminist artist, in terms of inviting in community, is nothing short of incredible. Every single point of access is made welcoming — from AD and ASL services (even with only one short spoken piece), to panels and post-show discussions, to low-priced tickets that bring in families (so many families there), to community meals, to classes, to social media that invites you in and makes you anticipate the work — the entire Weave experience is comprehensive and exemplifies relentless standards of inclusion.

When the performance was over, the woman sitting ahead of us turned to us and asked us about Beatrix's experience. Beatrix beamed and said that she had loved it, that it gave her a lot to think about that she would be thinking about for a long time to come, and that she really admired Rosy. I can't think of a better way to say it myself. This piece, this incredible labor of love, is truly revolutionary.

https://www.rosysimasweave.com