Meagan Woods
Reversing the Undone Created by: Meagan Woods
Photo credits: Sebastien Galina
At the start of 2020 I had been working towards a live dance show exploring sewing and moving in reverse, when suddenly a very different plan seemed in order. Enter, the pivot.
Without the ability to create and present this project safely in person, I decided to mail the dance to the audience. Now, Reversing the Undone arrives through the post as a series of letters engaged with moving and sewing in reverse. Each hand-crafted parcel contains a set of seven missives to be read over the span of a week, with accompanying “suggested pairings” for the time of day, place in home, or sort of snack to enjoy while reading, inviting the receiver to cultivate a sense of event for each letter’s unfolding.
As I found myself stitching costumes out of paper for a cast of letters, reversing and sewing surprised me by becoming stunningly relevant within a pandemic stricken world. A renaissance of domestic pastimes has ensued, and I too found myself drawn to the crafting nature of sewing and folding letters that released me from screens and media’s immediacy. So much of the world felt- and continues to feel- pushed backward. We are a pivot point, an emblem of reversals, to decide what we want to leave undone by the upheaval of 2020, what we want to re-make and reroute, and what we want to better secure through backstitching efforts. And now with paper and thread, pens and needles, I send out Reversing the Undone as a small token to soothe a corner of another’s ache, a hopeful salve during a time when so much has been unraveled, and we must ask ourselves how we will sew our way forward.
Meagan Woods is a choreographer, writer, and costume designer who is passionate about collaborative, interdisciplinary work. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Simon Fraser University, a BFA in Dance from Rutgers University, and has guest lectured at both universities. Her research investigates movement theories across creative practices, including dance, film, and sewing. Meagan is currently a performer and collaborator with Re:Current Theatre and a librettist for the Breathing Bass ensemble. She is thrilled to be a speaker for the TEDxSFU conference this fall, where she’ll talk about sewing and progressing in reverse. You can learn more at her website: meaganwoodsandcompany.com
