A Dance Performance Honoring Lineage, Land, and Spirit
~
By Jade Sanchez
MUJERES DE LAS PIEDRAS
Hawk and Hawthorne
Barnardsville NC
June 20th Summer Solstice
~Every human has their own unique roots & ancient stories that live within.
They exist a with a heartbeat of their own.
Dance is a way to remember how the ones before us moved upon this earth.
Fanning the embers into a flame of reverence & reconnection with every motion ~
‘Mujeres De Las Piedras’ is dance production created as a love letter to the ancestors by choreographer Jade Sanchez
MDLP is a 35 minute dance, choreography , spoken word, & visual arts piece about women’s ancient & ancestral connection to the earth. It highlights and dives deep into the indigenous concept of animism, the belief that all things in the world have a spirit, including wind, plants, rocks, and fire.
There are 23 women apart from the piece, all coming from different backgrounds, lineages, & ages. Through this performance, we will explore concepts like claiming our connection to the land & the stones, coming together to be in sync with each other and the natural rhythms of life, walking with our ancestors, the symbology of the water bearers (women who carry the water) & much more. One intention of this piece is to bring each individual woman's own unique take on the themes above into the show, through dance.
What’s unique about this performance is it also doubles as an interactive art gallery, featuring mixed media art pieces made by Arulu Gallagher & Jade Sanchez.
This piece was created with the intention to bring the viewer closer to the earth & hopefully spark a curiosity of the ancient stories that live within each of our own lineages & bones.
The artist of MDLP emersivly tell these stories through prop work with poetry, ceramic vessels, masks, drums, poetry, choreographies, & movement solos.
This stage production is a celebration of the feminine spirit and resilience. Exploring the depths we hold as womb bearers & an honoring of the pain we have turned into strength through our journey and lineages.
The style of dance is a fusion of contemporary, earthy sacred dance & primal feminine motion.
Meet the artist~
Jade Sanchez-Choreographer, Producer, Ceramicist
Jade Sanchez is a Mexican/American dancer, choreographer, creative director, filmmaker, and multimedia artist with Aztec & Irish roots. She is passionate about collaboration with the intention of bringing women of unique gifts and backgrounds together through movement & art. Her message is to live closer to the earth. Jade is passionate about holding movement based spaces where those partaking in a project can explore the voice of earth that moves through each person individually. Through her art she explores using choreography as a medium of embodying that voice. Jade also makes up 1/2 of the multimedia production company ‘Earthbased Media’ , tending to the films with her wild visions and creative direction.
Arulu Gallagher
Arulu is a ceramic sculptor, tattooer, painter, musician, seamstress, photographer, & dancer. She specializes in constructing masks inspired by her elaborate dreams & the spiritual dimension of the natural world. Arulu's ancestral roots reach back to southern China & span from Russia/Ukraine/Belarus/Poland through Austria & Germany all the way to Ireland. Being multiracial has fueled Arulu's study of global story, culture, & song, and has vastly shaped her understanding of the necessary & diverse role art serves creating beauty in all people's lives.
Ebonee Davis
Ebonee Davis is an Atlanta-based wellness facilitator, poet, author, and filmmaker dedicated to illuminating Black culture through a spiritual and tender lens. Blending elements of science fiction and surrealism, her work serves as a portal—guiding viewers back to God, their ancestors, and their own humanity. Rooted in a mission of healing and liberation for all living beings, Ebonee’s artistry embodies the deep interconnectedness of life on Earth.
Devon Le Fae
Devon’s movement journey began at a young age in the embrace of Raqs Sharqi—igniting a passion that redirected her life’s path. With a deep curiosity for the language of the body, the pulse of culture, and the stories held within movement, she weaves traditional technique with modern expression. Drawn to fluidity in all forms, her greatest muse is water—its cellular memory flowing through each motion, from the gentle Adriatic Sea and crystalline lakes of her matrilineal homeland of Croatia to the powerful Atlantic waves of New England where she was raised. Her practice embodies a conversation between lineage, place, and the primal currents of life itself.
Neeka Irene
Neeka is an Iranian-American multidisciplinary artist, with her predominant focus being in oil painting and dancing. She often explores the interconnected relationship between consciousness and nature through her art and process.
Neeka's movement and creations are deeply influenced by her connection to her ancestry of Persian and middle eastern roots. Neeka hopes her art can serve as an invitation to contemplate the deeper mysteries of life, our role as the creators of our lives, and our unbreakable connection to the natural world and one another.
Paloma Devi
Paloma Devi was born into Cuban culture whose music was rich in rhythm and was a constant celebration of life.
She began formally dancing Ballet as a young child for many years until it was interrupted by a severe injury & took the time to dive fully into her musicianship in the years it took for her body to recover.
She went on to become a Yoga teacher as she fulfilled a Degree in Dance with a focus on Modern, Spirituality & Mysticism. In this time she fell in love with Flamenco and spent years going to the Source in Andalucía Spain doing immersions with the Gypsies there while both exploring her Ancestral Roots to that land and refining her Musicianship with world class mentors.
For her, the Dance and Musical journey have been an unfolding path to wholeness and embodiment and she loves to help others develop themselves in their paths as well. Her decade long journey as a Moondancer and the birth of her children have made it clear to her that Women dancing in their authentic expression, especially together in prayer, are the Manifestation of Creation in Full Bloom.
Kayla Jacquelyn
Kayla has explored many different art styles throughout her whole life. Most predominately, she has trained in classical dance styles since she was 4 years old. Having studied and received a BA in Applied Dance and choreography at University, she has taught movement throughout her younger years and all of her adult life. Kayla now focuses on teaching yoga, playing out as a musician across the northeast, and teaching sourdough making workshops. Her inspiration comes from many different places, people, nature, and includes her Indian and Italian heritage. She continues exploring her artistry and expression of self through different mediums and ways.
Michal Tolk
Michal sees embodied practice as the primary vehicle for healing and spiritual communion. She is originally from New York City, grew up in Hong Kong and Singapore, and has ancestral roots stretching through the Philippines and Europe. Her movement practice is inspired by over a decade of yoga practice, a deep love of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, art modeling, and a lifetime of watching sacred dance through her travels. She spent the first four years of adulthood traveling the world to work on regenerative farms and homesteads, and now works as a somatic therapist, hypnotist, and life coach in Asheville.
Summer Athena Fae
Summer Fae was born and raised by the waves in Hawai‘i. Though her roots include European, Spanish, and Native American lineages, her being was primarily shaped by the spirit of Hawai‘i—The gentle embrace as well as powerful initiations of Namaka, goddess of the ocean, remains one of her greatest teachers and muses to this day. Her movement journey began in childhood with Tahitian dance, hula, and yoga, later evolving to include circus arts, aerial pole, and ritual temple dance. She holds performance as an act of devotion—Earth is the altar, dance the offering—guided by dreams, nature, and the quiet wisdom of seen and unseen realms.
Nica Rose
Nica Rose is an embodiment guide and ritual artist born in the Philippines and raised in Hawaii. She honors dance as a sacred practice—rooted in prayer, celebration, and the wisdom of the elements—to help others reclaim their truth through movement. She also leads Crowning Hair Rituals, a practice she began at 12, using ceremonial haircuts as a ritual for release, renewal, and stepping into new identities with intention.
Rebeccah Cope
Rebeccah Cope is an artist-naturalist of Scottish-Scandinavian descent who grew up participating in Renaissance festivals with her family and has been dancing all her life. She believes that movement is medicine and takes such joy in the flow of it. She formally studied and taught ballet, jazz, character and modern dance in central Maryland where she spent her childhood and now enjoys the world of ecstatic dance in Asheville, NC. Rebeccah is an outdoor educator and wild child at heart who enjoys connecting people with special places and exploring our neighbors in nature.
Nataly Arcila Martinez
Nataly is an artist at heart, a poet, painter, and dancer whose creativity knows no bounds. With deep Native American roots from Colombia, she weaves the essence of her heritage into every brushstroke, word, and movement. A curious soul, Nataly is a healer and a muse, dedicated to bringing light and vibrant energy to those around her. Grounded in nature, she believes in the power of our shared human connection and strives to inspire others to embrace this bond.
Kristi Wilson Rodriguez
Kristi is originally from North Dakota and has traveled the world. She Is an artist, super model, and nature/animal lover. Deeply inspired by magick, other-worldliness, creation and dance. She sees movement as a key to life, a bridge between worlds, to self, and spirit.Her roots are various which holds true in her rituals.
Kristin Janine
For Kristin, dancing is a space where her emotions can be set free. A place where words don’t matter, feeling does. She’s been dancing for the last 6 years, finding her at the exact moment she needed this outlet. It’s taught her so much about herself. Kristin feels the closest to her womanhood and ancestry when she dances. The world stops and song is all she hears.
Rebekah Bordeaux
Rebekah is a dancer who uses her body as an instrument—an offering to the unseen and a bridge between worlds. Through movement, she taps into the eternal current of life force energy, allowing it to flow through her in a sacred dialogue between spirit and flesh. Rooted in her Scottish and European heritage, Rebekah draws from the echos of ancient rituals and forgotten songs, letting their spirit pulse through every gesture. Through her artistry, she channels the timeless and the mystical, transforming memory into motion and honoring those who walk with her, unseen but ever present.
Rubina Beg
Rubina is a multidisciplinary artist rooted in Persian-Indian and Irish ancestry. Her creative path flows through carpentry, sustainable design, sewing, song, and dance—each a part of her journey to cultivate embodied expression, ancestral healing, and a sacred relationship with the land.
For over a decade, she has explored movement through traditional belly dance and yoga, later falling in love with Latin dance and Brazilian Zouk. Her life work is to create spaces and relationships that support a deeper sense of belonging—to ourselves, each other, and the earth.
Dusah Wiseman
Dusah is an interdisciplinary Guide and Artist. Born to a Mother of Native American descent and a Nigerian Father, her ancestry spoke to her before she was even aware. As a child she loved communing with the elements and performing rain dances. Devotion is at the core of her daily practices which include Yoga, Qigong, Dance, and Boxing. She believes in the art of inner alchemy and unites her love for the occult, elemental magic, and her artistry to guide others to go deep within their shadows unmasking their true power. The author of the book Dear Cycle Breaker, she is on a mission to reclaim the royalty back into her bloodline.
Harley Wiseman
Harley, the daughter of Dusah, pushes the boundaries with her literature and digital creations. She often touches on dark and real topics such as religious trauma or exploitation in performance industries, constructing art that disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed. She loves creating fiction and presenting a character’s entire story in one drawing. A lot of her characters have details in their story that are based on the takes she stands for as well. Whether that be certain misconceptions around a trope, or an annoyance with what she sees in common media and how they approach certain issues.
Aradhana Silvermoon
Aradhana Silvermoon has been exploring the arts since she was a child. She began playing guitar and piano and writing her own songs at the age of 17 and has been performing her original music for over 25 years at festivals, colleges, clubs, yoga studios, theaters, tearooms, coffeehouses, and forests across the country.
In college she majored in fine arts and in addition to the visual arts, she was fortunate to study yoga (which she taught for several years), many forms of dance including African, modern, and tap, with an additional study in African drumming.
The current incarnation of her artistry comes through in her husband/wife musical “folk-hop duo,” I,Star, as well as through her culinary creations as the creator of local Asheville organic chocolate company- Silvermoon Chocolate. She and her husband are also fixtures in the community, hosting ceremonies and workshops focused on bringing people together in a good way. She is the proud mother of a passionate and talented 11 and a half year old girl with whom she is blessed to share in and steward her love for the arts!
Her original art bears keen commentary on personal and global transformation, ancient wisdom, stewardship of the Earth, social justice, and Love amidst it all.
Perseia Pele-Rose
Perseia has always been an artist and performer and lover of the spotlight since she was a little girl- setting up stages and making her parents watch her made up dances and songs and plays… Now at the age of 11, she has the lead role in her school play this year, and will be performing in her second piano recital, where she will be singing and playing!! Growing up as the daughter of touring musicians, and a mom that played guitar over her belly throughout her pregnancy, Perseia has impeccable rhythm and an incredible ear for picking up melodies. She is also a lover of visual arts, including painting , drawing, pottery and sewing. Her love of nature and animals comes through in her art. Perseia has a bright future ahead of her as she continues to find her voice and to refine her love for all forms of art.
Empress Seba Menen
Empress Seba Menen resides presently in beautiful Western North Carolina where She is Earth Steward holding prayers for our sacred waters and the land. Empress Seba Menen has livicated her life to the promotion of Artistic Expressions of the Diaspora throughout Africa and Europe by producing theatrical and visual art with developing artist.
Get A Feel For The Vibe~
Jades Choreography and creative direction is featured in these videos created by Earthbased Media.
Check out these projects based in Asheville NC & brought to life by the incredible comunity of women in the area to get feel of what you're in for.
Lady Helene- An Interactive Art Installation Showcase by Taproot Collective
Born right here in Appalachia in Barnardsville, NC, Lady Helene is a sanctuary—an invocation for healing Humankind and our inseparable connection to Mother Earth. From her eyes, a slow drip of tears fall—an offering of feeling made visible. Lady Helene is an expression of solastalgia—grief in response to environmental loss—and a prayer for healing between humankind and the Earth. Born during a time of collective sorrow and personal grief, she took shape as our community mourned loved ones, processed ecological collapse, and faced social injustice. One year into her creation, Hurricane Helene struck, deepening her meaning and affirming her as both an embodiment of grief and a monument to perseverance. Her presence holds sorrow and resilience equally. We offer her as a sanctuary—an invitation for participants to access their own emotional reservoirs and reconnect with the sacredness of life. Through vulnerability and stillness, Lady Helene reminds us that beauty and connection are still possible in the wake of destruction. She is not here to fix grief, but to honor it, and to offer a quiet space to be with it—together.
We are Taproot Collective (Brandon Love, Freyja Leaf, Cat Hood, Maysun Greenewald, Arulu Gallagher, & Azrya David Bagwell), a group of friends who came together over the love of creating and curiosity for what we could sculpt together. We are dedicated to the upliftment and amplification of underrepresented voices in large-scale artwork through active collaboration with diverse local artists. We are rural folk, BIPOC, queer, and disabled artists. Our sculpture, Lady Helene, emerges from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene—an environmental catastrophe that destroyed so much in our Appalachian communities while simultaneously uniting people across race, class, ideology, and subculture. We bring that radical ethos into our work to dismantle social divides while centering and celebrating all of our humanity. We’ve experienced firsthand how the ecological devastation we face on Earth unites us all in both sacrifice and generosity, and Lady Helene is a monument to the heart of this feeling. Her tears fall for all of our losses, and she extends her hands to invite us all to be held in our collective grief. We know that to reimagine a new world requires us first to feel—and this is our mission
