My True Space

When we came together in the summer of 2006, we were strangers. After six weeks of the True Body Project experience, we are forever bonded as friends, as artists and as young women. We took on new physical challenges together – things like rock climbing and karate – and we worked with professional artists and writers to raise our voices in a public performance at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati and to create this web site for you.

While there is no substitute for real human interaction and real experiences, we have tried to break down our process so you can try some of these things on your own and with your friends. But trust us. If you find yourself on the computer too long, shut it down. The truth is on the move. You must be active to find it. When you do, you’ll find yourself.

See clearly.
Move with your breath.
Express yourself.
Feel.
Be true.

True Body Project,
Class of 2006

Left to Right, ground: Lily Raphael, Attie James,
Stacy Sims, Mallory Matson, Shannon Ross
Left to Right, standing foreground: Imani
Sherman, Kat Disimile, Alaina Wander, Denesha
Smith, Aralee Strange
Left to Right, standing back row: Susan
Cunningham, Carlie Barrett, LaJoyce Thrasher,
Grace Montgomery, Lisa Tompkins, Tamika
Thomas, Rachel Williamson

This is the chaos of creation
Souls being released like butterflies
Stretching their wings and flying
Flying
Flying
Into a blue abyss of lily laced clouds
Searching frantically for something to love
To believe in
A shining God to pray to
A golden savior to run to
An iron tower to hide in until the dark days pass
And you smile with your eyes
We want the answers but when we have them in our grasps our
voices get lost in the whirlwind of change and the truth is blown
away into the skyscrapers
And candy-cane mountains
This is the burden I bear
A stomach full of regret and a mouth full of words unsaid
An eternity of hopeless journeys
And fiery aspirations
Please my love
Save the world because I cannot
Take this golden locket and pry it open with weary fingertips
Let the love spill over your secret ambitions
And light your dampened darkened streets
A single street lamp is burning in the furious rain
we watch with tired eyes and shiver as the world goes dark

Oh it’s so easy to lose your way when the angels stop singing.

Mallory Matson,
Age 16
“I was inspired to write this by True Body teen Katherine Disimile’s title for our group performance “The Chaos of Creation: Dancing our Way Through the World.”