Part 1: 

Rodney Simpson, Jr. and Jessica Newman

At the core of Rodney Simpson, Jr. and Jessica Newman’s joint-disciplinary performance practice, lives an emphasis on the conjuring of ancestral knowledge as a shared retainer for holistic reclamation and healing, at the intergenerational intersections of Blackness, spirituality, queerness and liberation. Upon my initial meeting with Rodney and Jessica, I was immediately drawn to the immense warmth and tenderness seemingly effortlessly radiating from and between the two of them. We immediately clicked due to the convergence of our backgrounds in dance, performance and spirituality ingrained from a very young age within the Black church, and reflecting on those experiences now as adults. Energetically speaking, it felt like I was conversing with those “favorite cousins,” a clear sign to me that this would be a fruitful and revelatory discussion. 

Our conversation begins with Rodney and Jessica’s roots, knowledge, and framework of ancestral veneration as it pertains to their personal spiritual and artistic journeys. 

Jessica Newman: I didn’t learn that there was this big connection until I went to Ghana, West Africa, during high school. It’s when I began to really see this vast connection from Chicago to Ghana, that I started to understand that this is bigger than us, our lives are bigger than us. Where we come from, whether it’s from Chicago, whether it’s from the west coasts of Africa, it’s all a circle of life, ethnicity. It is a triangular effect of our ancestors, our present day and our future selves. I feel like through movement, and the practice of just living right now through healing, is the process of understanding who you are from an ancestral lens. 

Through movement and dance, Jessica found a means to explore, mobilize and articulate her identity, especially in the context of their family history marked by abuse and mistreatment of women. She reflects on the importance of understanding the historical context of slavery and post-traumatic slave syndrome, acknowledging the weight carried within individuals and communities across generations. 

Jessica credits her creative partner, Rodney, for deepening her understanding of ancestral healing practices and the significance of honoring one’s roots in day-to-day life. Rituals of prayer, self-devotion, and honoring one’s heritage, are essential components of navigating and healing from intergenerational trauma and serve a defining characteristic within their creative journeys. Together they explore the spiritual discoveries in piecing together one’s ancestral identity and the generational bonds inherited along the way. They take upon the important work of reclaiming and honoring ancestral lineage, as a means of understanding oneself and shaping one’s future, even in the face of complex societal stigmas and religious constraints. 

Rodney Simpson, Jr.: Even growing up, being Black, queer and growing up in the church—us knowing each other within that space and coming into ourselves around what we want out of life, whether that be from love, our own journeys, it’s always been a space safe enough and brave enough for us to be able to show up fully. Even if sometimes it hurts in that process of showing up. But we’ve been able to do that over and over and over again.

Throughout this journey of self-discovery and pursuit of life’s desires, whether in love or career, Rodney found solace and strength in the unwavering support and acceptance in his creative partnership with Jessica. He describes it as a sanctuary where he can fully show up, even amidst the challenges, knowing that he is seen, heard, and embraced for who he is. This aspect of connectivity they’ve co-cultivated is important as they navigate through the limitations of corporate America and suffocating hierarchies of patriarchy. 

R: I feel like I’m really contesting this space of like, what does it mean to show up as, quote unquote a Black man? What does it mean to show up as a Black queer man who doesn’t identify with what folks say a man is? How do I show up in those dynamics with father figures in my life? How do I show up in those dynamics when viewed as a quote unquote, fatherly figure in other’s lives? How do I show up in care? 

It becomes hard to breathe and find spaces for breath, when there are so many structures I’m trying to break out of, and patriarchal archetypes which I need to turn about. That’s a new one for me because I sometimes feel trapped within them and that I can’t show up as my full self within them, so it’s hard for me to examine the dynamics. Examining relationships with men, parental figures or other masc-presenting beings that I want to pursue, is one of the places where I start. 

Book club for ‘The Book of Names Salon’

J: We moved away from the matriarchy, which is why we’re where we are right now.

R: Exactly. 

J: Yeah, being a Black woman in America, I could go deep into all that, but it’s just a lot. I think about the constraint I feel, the resistance met from everyone. When it comes to being a Black woman, my body, my speech, is like political warfare. It’s just hard to breathe and just be, which is why I’m trying to get the hell out. 

This space, co-created through their creative union, serves as a source of immense comfort and empowerment, even in the face of these socio-political challenges, where they find the courage to be themselves, no matter what. 

We pivot to the mission of Threewalls and where the two of them wish to see their integral values, the prioritization of care, holding space, communion, integrity, accountability, mutual tending and support, manifest in our contemporary art climate today. 

R: I would love to see these values manifest in dance teaching, dance class and dance learning. Both from the side and experience of coaching and leading, how are we taking these values and actually implementing them in the space of being teachers and coaches? 

Stressing the importance of creating welcoming and inclusive environments where all parties feel valued and supported, rather than solely focusing on technical instruction, Rodney’s advocacy for a holistic approach to dance education, is not only necessary for the students but for the instructors as well. He continues by expressing to me the necessary extension of this communal approach into our social media platforms as another way to anchor our voices together. In the realm of coaching and leadership within the visual and performing arts, there is a need for teachers and coaches to embody values of care and space-holding in all their interactions with students. Rodney sees this as a key factor in the facilitation of a supportive and nurturing environment that prioritizes the well-being and growth of each individual. 

J: For me, regarding the prioritization of care, my mind goes to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. What do people need on a basic level to be artists? I think there’s a lot of funding, missed opportunities, lack of awareness and lack of connection to funding. Luckily, Rodney and I have jobs, but people are not able to fund or freely be artists because some of their basic needs aren’t met. 

When I think about the prioritization of care when we are in these spaces, whether it’s in our community, going to school, learning about art, how do we make sure people have their basic needs met, so they can feel truly free in doing this work? I really believe people need to eat, they need to be able to sleep, they need clothes on their back. They need the resources and tools to be able to achieve some of their dreams that may not always be fiscal, but how do we care for each other in that space? 

I think about prioritization of care from a physiological perspective, like basic needs, mental space. Yes, that’s a lot of weight, but I think if you have something to give and I have something to give, how can we barter? How can we make sure we all are being resources for one another?”