“Staged Presence” is a series based on the floor work and preparatory exercises of choreographer Martha Graham. I am intrigued by the power of the source of her positions, the energy emanating from the “tan tien” or deep core of the body. It was a revelation to discover its relationship to martial arts as having a grounding in the very lower part of the body as opposed to originating in the mind. 

As women, our inner lives may be fuelled in this way, but we are aware of being constantly observed. Our “Staged Presence” is a self-conscious state of being we must endure.