I’m Here. God Forbid I Disappear

… examines societal and political issues within America regarding white privilege, allyship, the Black Lives Matter movement and unpacking racial inequality. Their working process has been a mix of Zoom rehearsals, movement and voice explorations, moments of reflection/rewatching and self-filming to be collected as this virtual portfolio.

short film of the culmination of rehearsals and filming process

Project Collaborators

Alyshia Sheree Harper, an Alabama native, is a freelance performer, choreographer, teaching artist, and proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. She began her dance training at Shoals Dance Academy in Florence, Alabama and went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance from the University of Alabama and a Master’s Degree in Dance and Studio Related Studies from Florida State University. 

Alyshia Sheree interned as a Group Sales Representative and served as an Ambassador for The Alvin Ailey A

merican Dance Theater while pursuing her MA. Upon receiving her degree, she became an Equity dancer with the Walt Disney Company in Orlando, FL. In 2011, during her time at Disney, she acquired a stunt double role for a lead actress in the ABC Television series remake of Charlie’s Angels. Upon her return to Disney full time, she also became an inaugural member of ME Dance Company under the direction of Marshall Ellis. Most recently, she had the pleasure of performing at The Black Music Honors alongside The Jacksons, which was indeed a dream come true.

Presently, Alyshia Sheree is working towards a certification in Pilates and continues to allow her passion to drive her while gaining very rewarding choreographic, performance, and teaching experiences along the way. She is dedicated to discipline, self-discovery, and communication through the art of dance and creative movement.

https://www.alyshiasheree.com/

Michelle Mercedes is a Miami native and graduate of the Florida State University. She has worked with Urban Bush Women and Dance Lab New York. New York credits: I Married an Angel (New York City Center), Samson et Dalila (The Metropolitan Opera). Regional credits: The Wiz (Virginia Repertory Theatre), Mary Poppins, Crazy For You, Footloose (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre). She is currently in the cast of the revival of West Side Story on Broadway.

https://www.instagram.com/michellemercedes_/

Trent D. Williams Jr., a native Houstonian, received his MFA in Dance Performance & Choreography from The Florida State University and BA in Psychology from Morehouse College. Mr. Williams was a founding member of Urban Souls Dance Company in Houston, Texas and he has been a guest artist with Tallahassee Ballet in Tallahassee, FL, EDGEWORKS Dance Theatre in Washington, DC. Additionally, Mr. Williams has performed alongside Destiny’s Child, 112, and Janelle Monae among others. In 2007, Mr. Williams was invited to dance with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC).  Mr. Williams’ choreography has been performed by Dayton Contemporary Second Company, Texas Tech University, Towson University, University of Trinidad & Tobago, Coker College Dance Company, Urban Souls Dance Company, and has been showcased at The American Dance Festival, The American College Dance Festival, The Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, The Dance Gallery in Huntsville, Texas, and Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage. Mr. Williams is currently teaching as an Assistant Professor at University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida where he continues to advance his passion, emotional expression and a unique style of dance to the students.

http://trentwilliamsjr.com/

Cierra Willis, originally from Brooklyn, NY, currently attends San Diego State University where she is going to be a Music Major. She was in a choir called the Young People’s Chorus of New York City where she sang for 11 years. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Palau de la Musica and many more. She is so glad she got to be a part of this project. https://www.instagram.com/cierrasings.16/

Nicole Roerick is a Contemporary Dance Artist/Educator and a Yoga and Pilates teacher. Before moving to San Diego in September 2018, she was living abroad in Cairo, Egypt for 4 years where she was teaching in International Schools and studios while also creating work and performing. She has her MFA and BFA in Dance and has over 400 hours of Yoga certification (including Teen Yoga) and completed her Stott Pilates Mat and Reformer certification courses. She lived, taught, and performed in various cities in the U.S. before moving abroad. She created a performance group, Nicole Roerick Collective, in the fall of 2011 and has shown her work in NYC, Chicago, Madison, Austin, Cairo, and Istanbul. Her work explores societal and political subject matter and trying to navigate through the times we are living in. Teaching, choreographing, and performing are her greatest passions.

https://www.instagram.com/nrcollective/

Project Materials

“I’m Here” original song written by Cierra Willis

It’s a little bit crazy, It’s a little bit crazy

How quick they don’t care

Don’t care

The world’s busy changing, The world’s busy changing

They don’t care, don’t care

I just want a chance to be the same

I just want a chance to be the same

I just want a chance to be the same

SO tired of playing their century old games

SO tired of playing their century old games

Their games, games

I’m here, I’m here, God forbid I disappear

I’m here, I’m still here, God forbid I disappear, disappear, disappear 

I’m asking for a chance to breathe

I’m asking for a chance to breathe

I just want to live, I just want to live, I just want to live, I just want to live, I just want to live

I’m here, God forbid I disappear 

I just want to live, I just want to live, I just want to live

I want to breathe

I want to live, live, live

I’m here, God forbid I disappear 

I’m asking for a chance to breathe

I want to live

I want to live for the first time in centuries, first time in centuries, centuries

I want to live

I want to live for the first time in centuries, centuries

It’s a little bit crazy how quick they don’t care

The world’s busy changing

And they’re not here

I just want a chance to be the same

I’m so tired of playing their century old game

But here we go again, here we go again, here we go again

I’m here, God forbid I disappear 

I just want to live, I just want to live, I just want to live

* taken from an improvisation exercise where she worked with repetition and layering

Cierra Willis filming: These are voice explorations with Cierra Willis that were filmed by Nicole Roerick. We worked with the 2 songs most relevant in the project, American Funeral by Alexa Da Kid and Joseph Angel and an original song written by Cierra Willis. Her song inspired the title for the project, “I’m here. God forbid I disappear.” She worked with the image of the American flag and explored movement possibilities and restrictions. Both filming locations were on the SDSU campus in San Diego, CA.

07/10/2020: Sheree Harper and Michelle Mercedes improvising together with cycles/repetitions of movement and text. The never ending cycles of problems we keep experiencing in America and the repetitive nature of the experience. The voice of Cierra Willis is also being played as a reference to work with. Lyrics from American Funeral by Alexa Da Kid and Joseph Angel. Feedback/dialogue at the end with Nicole Roerick.

07/17/2020: Feedback around personal movement explorations/filming with Sheree Harper and Michelle Mercedes. Feedback from Cierra Willis around her voice improvisation and shifts she felt during filming and using the American flag. Sheree Harper, Michelle Mercedes, and Cierra Willis improvising around the idea of the coming down from a build up from the previous rehearsal. Using movement as a way to heal and to ground the body/mind. The voice of Cierra creates an atmosphere that is calming but also has a strong message. Nicole Roerick is partially guiding the vocal structure and camera usage off camera.

07/21/2020: Trent D. Williams Jr. discussing his movement/filming exploration. Michelle Mercedes and Trent D Williams, Jr. improvising on movement material from discussion/dialogue around racism and being Black in America. Repetitions/cycles have continued to be explored throughout the process. Use of proximity to the camera and framing is explored. The sound score is being generated by Nicole Roerick using clips from various sources including: @karensgoingwild, interviews of Donald Trump, voice of Cierra Willis, songs related to the project, etc. Sheree Harper joins as a witness and for feedback at the end.

Performance/Live Feedback/Dialogue Session

via Zoom @ 4pm PST, August 8th, 2020

support this project with donations via Venmo at @Nicole-Roerick-1

07/16/2020: Sheree Harper, Michelle Mercedes, and Nicole Roerick working through an improvisation with movement and sound around what it feels like to have things build up to the point of an explosive release. The emotions that have been circulating during the most recent Black Lives Matter movement in America. Feedback/dialogue at the end with Cierra Willis joining.

07/23/2020: Sheree Harper, Michelle Mercedes, and Trent D. Williams Jr., improvising with a similar structure to the rehearsal on 07/21/2020 with more of a guided structure. Feeding off of one another and watching/witnessing one another was part of the process. A similar sound score is being generated by Nicole Roerick with some additions. The voice of Cierra Willis is also present. Feedback/dialogue at the end.

07/28/2020: Sheree Harper, Michelle Mercedes, and Trent D. Williams Jr, learned a unison movement phrase that Nicole Roerick created compiled of motifs from their past rehearsal explorations. They worked with improvising within the phrase and went through cycles of repetition. The voice of Cierra Willis comes in later to support their exploration. Sheree and Michelle work through speaking the original lyrics from Cierra’s song and improvise with responding to one another.

08/04/2020: The final rehearsal for the 6 week residency which involved Sheree Harper, Michelle Mercedes, Trent D. Williams Jr., and Nicole Roerick reflecting/discussing/witnessing a few past rehearsal moments. The clips are overlaid over one another with the movement explorations and the collaborators speaking about them.  This rehearsal involved some reflection of the rehearsal process and of the grounding quality Cierra WIllis gave to the project with her voice. There was also discussion around the final video/film to present and how to capture the moments.