I See Her Face: Expressing Gender Variance through Contemporary Dance

Abstract

I See Her Face presents kinetic commentary on gender, femininity, and traditional female socialization. The piece holds a deeply introspective mirror up to the audience so that they may see the power struggle between socialization and identity. It represents the choreographic process of representing personal conflict in dance, especially regarding gender representations in traditional dance and the changing gender landscape of dance. I See Her Face is a contemporary solo choreographed on dancer Molly Bagatto by Kennedy Cole. This work was premiered at The University of Akron Dance Company’s Fall 2021 dance concert. I See Her Face was subsequently selected by dance faculty to be performed at the East-Central Conference of the American College Dance Association in March 2022 and received highest recognition from the adjudicating panel of experts.