BIRDS, BEES, AND IUDs
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Birds, Bees, and IUDs utilizes the art of dance and theater to speak directly about reproductive rights, health care, and sexual education from a personal and intersectional perspective. With honesty, vulnerability, and a splash of humor, this production challenges the standard of silence around our bodies. We make a point of weaving in humor and satire while also embracing the heavy hitting realities of living in a body that is both objectified and shrouded in mystery. In holding space for sorrow and celebration, Birds, Bees, and IUDs takes a raw and open look at real life experiences to facilitate a collective conversation around our bodies and the universal right to health, education, and dignity.
ARTISTIC DIRECTION
Sophia Rabinovitz
CAST
Madyson Barbain, Eris Noelle Prescott, Sophia Rabinovitz, Bayleigh Breanne, Brittney A. Williams-Reese, and Alysha JeanCharles
PROGRAM
“Secrecy”
Choreographed by Madyson Barbain
Performed by Full Cast
Music: “A Long Walk” by Jill Scott
“The Gyno”
Written and Directed by Sophia Rabinovitz
Performed by Alysha JeanCharles, Brittney A. WilliamsReese, Bayleigh Breanne and Eris Noelle Prescott
“The White Sheet”
Choreographed by Bayleigh Breanne
Performed by Madyson Barbain
Music: “Be Still, My Soul.”
Arranged and performed by Paul Cardall, modified for this performance by Bayleigh Breanne and Marley Igual.
“Sexual
Education”
Written, Choreographed, and Directed by Bayleigh Breanne and Marley Igual
Performed by Full Cast
Inspired by Wild ‘n Out: “In the Classroom,” “Eggs, Bacon, Grits…” 2015 vine trend, and experience with 5th grade students’ rhythmic improvisation.
Sound design by students, Jerrard and Kindle, Bayleigh Breanne, and Marley Igual.
“Pleasure”
Choreographed by Eris Noelle Prescott
Performed by Bayleigh Breanne, Eris Noelle Prescott, Madyson Barbain, and Sophia Rabinovitz
Music: “Touch Me (Ft. Kehlani) Instrumental” by Victoria Monet
“The Test”
Created and Directed by Sophia Rabinovitz
Performed by Brittney A. Williams-Reese, Bayleigh
Breanne, and Eris Noelle Prescott
“My Body”
Written and Directed by Sophia Rabinovitz
Performed by Madyson Barbain, Alysha
JeanCharles, and Bayleigh Breanne
“Choice”
Choreographed by Sophia Rabinovitz
Performed by Bayleigh Breanne
“One
in Four”
Choreographed and Performed by Eris Noelle Prescott
Music: “You are My Sunshine” by Travel Music
Relax, Edited by: Eris Noelle Prescott
“Earthside”
Choreographed and Performed by Sophia Rabinovitz
Music: “There She Is Again” by Leah Free
“Letter to My Daughter”
Written and Performed by Brittney A. WilliamsReese and Sophia Rabinovitz
VIDEO CREDITS
1980’s Irish Catholic Sex Education Video
America’s first Sex Education film shown in public schools | Human Growth - Second Edition (1962) The first edition of this film was written by Dr. Lester F. Beck, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon. The film was sponsored by the E.C. Brown Trust, a nonprofit foundation associated with the University of Oregon since 1939
1985 Advanced Pregnancy Test TV Commercial
The Principles of Pleasure - Opening Scene Netflix
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Sophia Rabinovitz is the Founder and Artistic Director of Artivism Dance Theatre and the owner of Artivism Studio. She believes in the power of movement to create positive change both internally and externally and her work has brought her around the world training, creating, and collaborating. She holds a BFA in Dance and a BA in Anthropology from Temple University along with her MFA in Dance Cultures from the University of Surrey. Coinciding with her love of dance and activism is her love of holistic wellness practices. Sophia is a Personal Trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine, a Yoga Alliance certified instructor, and trained with the Center for Mind Body Medicine. Over the last ten years she has performed and taught in Philadelphia, New York, Italy, the United Kingdom, Senegal, Nigeria, and now New Orleans. Her experience in such a wide variety of arts communities and education systems has informed her approach to creating art, fostering community, and teaching young people. She strives to make Artivism a safe space where people of all walks of life can connect to the artistry that is dance.
Eris Noelle Prescott is a New Orleans based choreographer, performer, and teacher. Prescott achieved a BFA in dance performance and choreography from Belhaven University in 2017 where she graduated with honors and received the Bezalel Award for outstanding artistic achievement. Prescott has performed in numerous works, working under choreographers such as Sung Yong Kim of Daegu City Dance Company, Cynthia Newland of Feet Speak, Elizabeth Dishman of Dishman and Co. Choreography, and Teresa Fellion of BodyStories. Prescott has choreographed works featured at the American College Dance Association Regional Gala Concert, the Mississippi Museum of Art, The Mississippi Lights Festival, Houston Fringe Festival, and the New Orleans Infringe Festival. Prescott choreographed and performed nationally and internationally with Kinetic Etchings Dance Project, and has worked with a variety of companies throughout New Orleans. Prescott is excited to be joining Artivism Dance Theatre for another season of art and activism.
Madyson Barbain works every day to fulfill the highest expression of herself as a human being and an artist. Dance is her heart and passion. She has spent the last twenty years studying and competing in many genres of dance, starting with her upbringing through Art in Motion Dance Academy. Madyson is an alumni of two high schools, Warren Easton and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, with honors in academics and graduated from Tulane University with her BFA in Dance and BA in Kinesiology. She has danced
with KM Dance Project, Artivism Dance Theatre, Goat In the Road Productions, Dancing Grounds and Boston’s Commonwealth Circus Center. Madyson has also performed in many festivals such as Jazz Fest, Fried Chicken Fest, Miami Pride Festival and with musical artists Master P, John Batiste, Dawn Richard and more. In 2023, she was recognized as a finalist for the Gambit’s New Orleans Big Easy Outstanding Choreography award for her work in Artivism Dance Theatre’s “Birds, Bees, and IUDs”. She currently teaches dance to children and choreographs all over the New Orleans area.
Bayleigh Breanne grew up in Draper, Utah where she began dancing in a neighbors’ basement to selections from The Little Mermaid. She studied contemporary dance, sociology, and theatre arts at Brigham Young University (BYU) and danced with both the BYU Hip Hop Club as president and dancEnsemble as a choreographer. She has trained with various choreographers and artists from around the country and Europe. She’s certified to teach Promethean Spark Methodology (a method of teaching life skills through dance) and worked as a coordinator for the Utah Chapter of Promethean Spark International for two years. After graduating from BYU, Bayleigh moved to New Orleans to teach 5th Grade Social Studies--which is a fun way to get a daily headache ;). In New Orleans, Bayleigh has danced with Mélange Dance Company, Artivism, and ELLEvate Dance Company. She also trains in Waacking and Krump with local mentors. Bayleigh is passionate about making change through dance.
Brittney Williams-Reese, a native New Orleanian, began her formal dance training at the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance. She has also studied at New Orleans Dance Academy, NOCCA, Dance Theatre of Harlem and The Ailey School. Williams-Reese has worked with choreographers including Daniel Catanach, Monique Moss, Nanette Ledet, Joya Powell, Rebecca Stenn and Eduardo Vilaro. In 2009, she received her Bachelor of Arts in natural science from Fordham University and is currently pursuing her Masters from the University of New Orleans.
A transplant from Boston, Alysha JeanCharles is a graduate from Loyola University New Orleans. Her dance background includes experimenting with a variety of dance styles from Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern, Brazilian, and Afro-Latino throughout her career. Over the years her love for dance has developed into being an advocate for women’s health and self-care empowerment.
ABOUT ARTIVISM DANCE THEATRE
Artivism is a collective dedicated to bringing awareness of social issues to a wide range of audiences through dance theatre. We tell our own stories in an effort to reach across divisions, find commonality, and spark change. We prioritize communication of social message over esoteric performance, often using multimedia techniques in our work. We believe that art, and specifically movement, can communicate perspective and experience across gaps in culture, language, and tradition that might otherwise remain unbreachable.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A huge thank you to the team at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast and the New Orleans Museum of Art, especially Chelsea Evankow and Connor Kilian for all their help bringing this project to fruition. Artivism is supported in part by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, the New Orleans Museum of Art, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, WWNO, and the Louisiana Division of the Arts.
RESOURCES
Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast
https://www.ppgulfcoast.org/
New Orleans Abortion Fund
844-44ABORT (844-442-2678)
https://abortionfunds.org/contact/
Lift Louisiana
https://liftlouisiana.org/
Birthmark Collective
https://www.birthmarkdoulas.com/contact-us
Brightside Health
(post-partum depression) support@brightside.com 415.360.3348
National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-4673
New Orleans Family Justice Center
https://www.nofjc.org/resources
FIND YOUR STATE LEADERS REGISTER
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OUR VISION
Planned Parenthood seeks a world in which all children are wanted and cared for, all individuals have equal rights and dignity, sexuality is expressed with honesty, equality, and responsibility, and the decision to bear children is private and voluntary.
OUR MISSION
The mission of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Inc. is to ensure the right and ability of all individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health by providing health services, education and advocacy.
www.ppgulfcoast.org