Jacki Moreland &
Claire Blumberg
Through choreography and images, 2 artists tell the story of how it feels to come out of your shell, and turn your face to the sun. When you live with an invisible disability, sometimes you feel the need to "come out" to the world. It can be a scary invitation, but when you're finally free to stand in your own light...nothing beats that Golden Hour.
By Claire Blumberg (dancer, model) and Jacki Moreland (choreographer, photographer)
Claire Blumberg is a 21-year-old Maryland student and dancer. She has studied many styles of dance, from lyrical to hip hop. She has traveled and performed with cheer and dance teams competitively, and recently placed first across the smooth and rhythm Special Abilities categories at Ballroom at Maryland's BAM Jam competition. She's also currently in training to become a certified ballroom dance instructor. Claire has personally experienced the feeling of hiding parts of yourself from people around you, and "Golden Hour" is inspired by her experience opening up about her developmental disability to her friends at school.
Jacki Moreland is a professional ballroom dancer, and Claire's coach. She worked with Claire to choreograph her "Golden Hour" piece, as well as to capture it in photos. Jacki is the founder of Beyond the Ballroom, an organization dedicated to providing dance opportunities to those under-served by traditional dance spaces. Jacki also has experience dealing with unseen mental battles, and the joy of getting to show the world your full self.
