Aaron Marcus, Pt I: discussing gender and identity at Pinewoods (with Fiona Rogers).

Description

Aaron Marcus and Fiona Rogers discuss gender and identity in the context of Pinewoods in this first part of a two-part conversation. Aaron opens with a description of their personal experience growing up in heteronormative dance spaces and describes their experience with gender rules and policing. They describe their first time being asked to dance by a man, which happened at Pinewoods in Hands Across and how pivotal it felt to be in a space where people didn't feel so constrained by heteronormative couplings on the dance floor. Aaron was approached by the Gay Blades (an openly gay and lesbian rapper team based in Boston) at NOMAD (Northeastern Music and Dance Festival) and told about a gender-free dance; this queer space and experience of inclusion encouraged them to stay in the dance community at a time when it was not as welcoming a space for gender-queer individuals as it is today. Aaron describes how Pinewoods also became an inclusive place for them where they could feel like they belong, especially within the Lavender and Country Folk Dancers session (LCFD: Spring Camp). We talk about types of inclusivity and about hopes for the future of Pinewoods and the traditional and contra dance communities, about listening to and respecting the stories of elders as well as continuing to have challenging conversations with younger generations that push us to grow and shift our culture as a community. See Part II for the conclusion of our conversation!

Participants

• Fiona Rogers
  
• Aaron Marcus
  

Interview By

• Fiona Rogers