SLOW
DANCING
IS EASY
From Why Did Sarah Bernhardt Sleep in a Coffin? to The Invisible Circus of the Present Tense, these works blend humor and pathos in a genre fluid collection that resonates with bits of memoir and fantasy that chronicle one woman’s adventures over decades.
Created with designer, Ola DeKorne, and illustrated with my line drawings and photographs by Peter Cunningham. Slow Dancing Is Easy is a playful book, and also touches on love, loss, daily life, and the search for resilience when confronted with today’s challenges.
PILGRIMAGE
Clare and I created "Pilgrimage" in 2013.
The filmmaker Josephine Decker shot some footage at the Comedy and Dance Festival at Triskelion and used a clip to open her film, "Butter on the Latch."
In 2023, I rediscovered the footage, Peter Cunningham edited this 5 min. film and we added Clare's song "Feelings." "Pilgrimage II" inspired by The Wife of Bath... a journey across time.
Choreography & Performance:
Clare Byrne and Ara Fitzgerald
Film: Peter Cunningham
ON LOOKING BACK
Orpheus was a star. He was the Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, John Lennon Justin Timberlake, and Jay-Z of Greek Mythology. He and his wife Eurydice love one another. She steps on a snake and dies. The Gods offer to bring her back to life. If only men could follow directions.
Text, Choreography & Performance: Ara Fitzgerald
Film: Peter Cunningham
An ongoing project with photographer, Peter Cunningham.
A still dance for camera, a chance to look and listen more deeply at a moment’s notice.
Performance: Ara Fitzgerald
Photos: Peter Cunningham
