This piece was inspired by the idea that at the end of the day, despite our differences, humanity connects us all and that the feeling of connectedness, we often associate with the word “family”, can grow to include much more than our immediate bloodline. 

Like many individuals this year, in the spring of 2020, my family experienced a very difficult loss. My mother passed away at the end of May, after a difficult battle with Cancer. Throughout my journey to heal, I have been both humbled and reminded of the fact that despite our differences, we are truly all the same; inextricably connected by our shared human experience. At some point, we will all experience loss, joy, pain, hope, and suffering. 

Throughout the events of the past year, I have been continually reminded that our most vulnerable moments are always when we are the most human. Coincidentally, these moments are also often the times when we feel the most connected to one another, despite our different backgrounds, cultures, scenery, and / or bloodlines. It has been through difficult circumstances that I have learned, that even when we find ourselves on what can sometimes feel like the darkest path, we are never truly alone. A shared human experience connects us all, binding us together and expanding our definitions of family. 

The storyline of this ballet, is meant to reflect my own personal journey in both moving forward after hardship and watching my own definitions of family be challenged and expanded. The storyline is meant to emphasize the belief that if we can learn to work and live together, while also embracing all cultures, backgrounds, values, and beliefs, we can move forward as a stronger, more resilient, humble, and kind generation of beings.