let me be if i can

let me be if i can was born out of an obsession of trying to understand a woman who made it her life's mission to be unknown. Elizabeth Eaton Converse, best known as Connie Converse, was an American folk musician active in New York in the 1950s. In 1974, after giving up on her music career, she wrote notes saying goodbye to her loved ones and drove off without a trace. To this day, Connie's whereabouts remain unknown. If she were alive today, she would be 100 years old. Gayle's piece, “let me be if I can”, asks the dancers to immerse themselves in Connie’s world. Through the creation and execution of this piece, we tried to understand the state Connie was in when choosing to leave her life. What does it feel like to disappear?

Choreography: Gayle Rocz

Dancers: Erin Brandt, Cody Gomez, Maria Reyes Vazquez & Rachel Tobin

Photography: Figment Art Photography