Renee Gerardo/ Dances explores the nuanced negotiations inherent in relationships while navigating self-doubt and the need for validation. Using society and personal somatic histories as frameworks, this evening-length work exposes and reevaluates the ways in which people choose to witness, analyze, and support each other. It examines how we unwittingly or otherwise use our familial and learned values when faced with the realities of being present and how far we will go to hide or reveal our perceived truths.

Pale pink, baby blue. Sparkle, tear, big eyes, bruise. Blur, word, text post, pose. Absent, morbid, hashtag, rose. Can vulnerability be perceived as a feminist act? What if your last selfie garnered over 1,000 likes? Choreographer and performance artist Lindsey Mandolini shares an excerpt from SAD GIRLS ☹, a physical exploration of an internet aesthetic – IRL. Voyeurism, seduction, social media, and identity are woven together with visuals from Chicago-based multimedia artist Allen Johnson.