Brooklyn, NY

For 10 days leading up to the watch party, each day I am sharing highlights from the creative process.

The FAITH section: 4/10

In 2017 I had an tense relationship with my sister. We were always very close growing up. In fact, kids on the block used to call us the “Double mint Twins,” for those you that get that reference! College years brought us physically and emotionally apart. I rarely saw or talked with my sister. When I moved to Minnesota perceived misunderstandings and unresolved pain worsened through the years. I felt like I had lost my sister/didn’t know the woman she had become/missed her formative years. I brought the “Yam, Potatoe an Fish!” project first to Elyse, thinking it would be a duet entirely. My sister’s life could not accommodate that level of commitment. Throughout the creative process I felt like I was dragging her along. I came to New York so we could work together for one month. She met me in Bed-Stuy for 7 pm rehearsals after a long work day. She was tired and hungry. The floor was unforgiving to our joints. I pushed through it all because I was convinced that this was the path to reconciliation and healing for us, and I am so glad I did.

“Life” was a piece my sister performed from the age of 13-18 as a member of a multi-generational step ministry in Brooklyn, NY, formerly known as Remnant and now known as Boots Step Ministry, directed by Minister Reggie Alvarez. This community was an important part of my sister’s development. I think it was the first creative expression to which she was completely devoted to that had nothing to do with me or our family. Boots ministered on the streets of Brooklyn (which is why you see the street in the background of the performance video) and in maximum security prisons. This was not yo Momma’s step team! They healed and delivered people wherever they went, and it was all done with so much passion and integrity! This particular piece was usually done with about 20 people, from babies to grandmas. That is how I remember it back in high school, and that is why I chose this piece to be the conduit for my reconnection with my sister.

I originally conceived of this duet being performed live. We have performed it both ways, and I cannot decide which version I like better. There is something electric when I dance with my sister. Her manner is calm and her timing is spot on. She is a wonderful teacher, patient and very clear. You can see how much the work is in her body compared to myself, and I don’t mind. Eventually I found the most relaxed and dynamic expression for me. I remain honoured to even have the opportunity to step into a piece that I only watched from the sidelines as an adolescent. When I watch the duet in this section called FAITH it brings me great joy because I think if it weren’t for this piece my relationship with my sister might have never mended.

Elyse Morris, MPH was a performer with New York-based dance company, Abraham.In.Motion (AIM) from 2010-2013. She now is a Field Operations Training Manager at NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.