Tuesday Twirl & Whirl

Laila J. Franklin (b.1997) is a dance maker, performer, teacher, administrator, and writer based in the unceded territory of the Massachusett and Pawtucket peoples, now known as Boston, Massachusetts. Her work extends from lineages of Black queer experimental dance makers, with a particular interest in postmodern improvisatory practices and aesthetics, and dance theater.  In her work, she explores kinetic imagination through the rigor of juxtaposing virtuosic and intimate performances, seeking to make legible the (in)visibility of lived experience. Her performance/collaboration credits include work with Miguel Gutierrez, Melinda Jean Myers, Dr. Christopher-Rasheem McMillan, and Ruckus Dance. Laila’s choreography has been presented through the Boston Center for the Arts, Public Space One, The Boston Conservatory, and The University of Iowa. She has been working as a teaching artist since 2018, serving communities in Boston and Iowa City. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Iowa and a BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance from The Boston Conservatory.

How can we regard each other with empathy? Hopefully with approachable candor. In concert with the exhibit Looking at Black Portraiture, choreographer Jessica Roseman will dance a live self portrait during which she and viewers will meet, right where they are.