Finding fragments in a box of family secrets. Uncovering intimacy in unexpected similarity. With choreography by Jeanine McCain, this multi-media dance-theatre piece explores a visceral connection to stories of the past through movement, video, and an original score by Garrett Hope.

$18 / 50 minutes

Jeanine McCain, Assistant Professor of Dance at Ursinus College, brings her first evening-length work to the Philly Fringe with Under Her Skin, in collaboration with composer Garrett Hope (based in Lincoln, NE), lighting designer Kate Ashton (based in NYC), and a cast of local professional dancers. McCain was raised in Montana, and performed and created work in Seattle and Boulder/Denver before transplanting to Philadelphia, but Under Her Skin has east coast roots, with inspiration in the life of McCain’s great-grandmother, who lived just two hours north of Philadelphia in the coal country town of Freeland, PA. “Her identity was kept a secret, even in my family, because she was an unwed mother in 1926, and she did an excellent job of hiding the fact that she ever had a child,” McCain says of her great-grandma. Under Her Skin is an investigation of her connection to this family secret, but McCain says the theme has universal appeal. “It really explores the universal experience of private life versus public exposure, and how we all make choices regarding when to reveal and when to hide.” McCain uses her background in dance, theatre, and video collaboration to create the progression of the evening. The show begins with a video installation experience, followed by a short dance art film that leads into a live dance performance with twelve local performers. Cast member collaborators include Kate Abernethy, Christina Binder, Marie Brown, Melissa Cameron, Bridget Carlin, Erin Carney, Melissa Chisena, Nakia Jones, Joanna Martin, Gina Masciarelli, Samantha Schowe and Emily Dale White.