Motion State Arts presents
laila j. franklin
babybabybaby
November 8, 2025 . 7pm
wilbury theatre group . providence, RI
A dance about dances about love.
Interested in the human impulse for connection, BABYBABYBABY (2024) taps into feelings of budding romance, when falling in love is silly and fast and sexy and devastating and you are brilliant and stupid and spellbound. With reference points ranging from early aughts romantic comedies and So You Think You Can Dance duets, to archival footage of live performances by Roberta Flack and Nina Simone, to obstacle course TV game shows and clowning, the work stumbles through shades of silliness, irrationality, passion, and grief, calling into question the role of sincerity, earnesty, and truthfulness in performance, and the power of physical states.
BABYBABYBABY seeks to explore how we contend with the precarity of trust, impulsivity, and continuity via malleable agreements and disagreements, in its physical acts and in its overarching theme. It is a work that is interested in companionship and partnership, exploring the ways we give and receive care.
Performers: Michael Figueroa, Laila J. Franklin, Jenna Gross, Andrea Muñiz, Marissa Molinar, Sarah Pacheco, Sasha Peterson and Marcel Santiago Marcelino, with contributions from Alexander Davis.
Lighting Design: Anne Dresbach
Dramaturgy: Kate Gow & Eliza Malecki
Rehearsal Direction: Mira Göksel
Rehearsal Assistance: Abby Fuller & Justine Schmaltz
Motion State Arts is thrilled to present the only Rhode Island performance of this piece.
and come take class WITH THE ARTISTS, November 8 & 9!
Wilbury Theatre Group, 475 Valley St, Providence
$20/class; $75 for all four! Space limited, advance registration encouraged.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8
10–11:30am: Club Class-ics / Sarah Pacheco
Welcome to Club Class-ics—where somatic meets sweaty, spirals meet beats, and dance floor freedom rules. We’ll warm up with Gyrotonic-inspired spirals, then crank the energy with heart-thumping improvisational scores, guided by iconic club hits and underground rhythms. Spiraling across the floor, we end in a dynamic phrase that leaves you somewhere between ooey-gooey and fully feral. Come ready to sweat, connect, and ride the vibe.
11:45am-1:15pm: Contemporary Forms / Sasha Peterson
We will cultivate listening, curiosity, and expansion through process with ourselves, our connection with others, and our performance. A guided warmup, series of improvisational scores, and phrasework will challenge us to sink into and explore different dynamic choices, honing in on what makes dance and performance captivating for you and those witnessing you. We will tease our brains, redirect, feel our weight, pause, and take up space.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
10–11:30am: Contemporary Forms (and Functions) / Laila J. Franklin
This class is interested in excess, fatigue, virtuosity, and care, leaning away from preciousness and leaning into curiosity and risk-taking. Drawing from her background in Limón, Countertechnique, and contact improvisation, the class will explore moving in and out of the ground, with and through space, and amongst one another with deep bodily and spatial awareness. The class develops through improvisatory and guided skill-building and conditioning exercises, and culminates in phrase work utilizing the skillset cultivated through class.
11:45am-1:15pm: Contemporary Forms / Michael Figueroa
We'll begin with a warm-up that combines structured and improvised exercises designed to help you connect your body and more more freely. Class will focus on grounding and learning a choreographed sequence that allows for personal improvisation.
ARTIST BIOS
Laila J. Franklin is an independent, multidisciplinary dance artist based in Boston, MA, by way of Washington, DC. Featured as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” (2024), Laila's work is interested in meta-commentary, deconstruction, and bits, approaching themes surrounding the human experience with complexity, nuance, curiosity, and humor. Her work has been commissioned by Brown University, Salem State University, and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and shared through Public Space One (IA), Loculus Collective’s Sideways Door Festival (MA), Cotuit Dance Festival (MA), School of Contemporary Dance and Thought (MA), and Movement Research at The Judson Church (NY). Her performance credits include projects with Miguel Gutierrez, Stephanie Miracle, and Melinda Jean Myers. She is an archival assistant to Jennifer Harge and research assistant to Stew Stewart. Laila holds an MFA from the University of Iowa, a BFA from The Boston Conservatory, and is a proud alumna of Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
Michael Figueroa is a performer, director of Ruckus Dance, and dance educator. His dances navigate rule-breaking, body memory, personal anecdotes, audience participation, and improvised situations. His work has been commissioned throughout New England. Michael was an inaugural teacher with Midday Movement Series and has taught at Gibney Studios, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Boston Arts Academy, and more. Michael earned his BFA in Dance from The Boston Conservatory and currently attends Smith College.
Jenna Gross is a dancer and graphic designer from Westford, MA. They have received their BA in Dance and Performance with a minor in Graphic Design Communications from Roger Williams University. Their current research and practice revolves around kinesthetically sound movement and exploring dynamic partnering. Their passion for comedy intertwines within their practice by discovering quirky movements, and poking fun at the prestige of dance. Jenna has worked with Laila Franklin, Lorriane Chapman (LCTC), Cathrine Siller, Eliza Malecki, Natalie Johnson Dance, Providence Ballet Theatre, Karen Bray, and the Milton branch of the Isadora Duncan Company. Jenna is also the co-director of Rose Woods Dance Collaborative (RWDC), a performance art-focused dance theatre company. When Jenna is not dancing, they can usually be found crafting away as their alter ego, Granny Gross.
Marissa Molinar is a contemporary dancer, arts administrative activist, and Founder/Director of Midday Movement Series, a grassroots initiative cultivating a new generation of dance leaders. She holds a Bachelors in Environmental Science from Brown University with a focus in Urban Conservation and Environmental Justice, and she holds a certificate in Contemporary Dance from the Professional Training Program at Gibney Dance in New York, NY. Marissa's administrative work focuses on creating artistic sustainability by empowering artists in their fierce individuality while building fierce community. She is passionate about centering artists and administrators of color at all levels of the arts ecosystem. As a former Mexican Folkloric and Bharatanatyam dancer and late-comer to contemporary dance, Marissa is passionate about using dance as a tool for social storytelling and cultural transformation. Marissa is a former member of Nathan Trice / RITUALS Dance Theater in Brooklyn NY, and she is a proud founding member of Ruckus Dance directed by Michael Figueroa. She is thrilled to be performing with Laila Franklin and the talented cast of BABYBABYBABY.
Andrea Muñiz (they/she) is a movement artist from San Juan whose work centers collaboration and improvisation. A B.F.A. graduate of The Boston Conservatory, Andrea is a dynamic performer and choreographer. Their work has been presented at MELLE’s WIP, NACHMO Boston, Modern Connection’s DIP, JP PorchFest, and at the Boston Center for the Arts. Follow them on IG @_andreamuniz_
Sarah Pacheco is a Boston-based dance artist, arts administrator, facilitator, and educator originally from Southern California. She holds a B.A. in Dance and Business Administration from Goucher College, with a concentration in Arts Administration. Sarah has worked with Continuum Dance Project, Eliza Malecki Dance, the Lipstick Criminals, Boston Lyric Opera, Shura Baryshnikov, and the Izizwe Collective. She was also a company member with VLA DANCE and is currently in process with Laila Franklin. In addition to her performance work, Sarah is a certified GYROTONIC® Instructor, committed to creating inclusive and accessible learning environments that encourage individuals to safely explore their biomechanics and kinesthetic awareness. She also serves as the Assistant Curator at Midday Movement Series, a grassroots organization devoted to cultivating a new generation of dance leaders.
Sasha Peterson currently lives and dances in the Boston area. Sasha has worked with folks such as Ali Kenner Brodsky, Audrey Maclean, Betsy Miller, Boston Lyric Opera, CRCI, Grant Jacoby, Lisa Race, and Shura Baryshnikov. She is a company member at Ruckus Dance and VLA DANCE, and is also in process with Continuum Dance Project and Laila Franklin. She teaches at Midday Movement Series and is also a licensed massage therapist.
Marcel Santiago Marcelino is a queer Puerto Rican and Dominican dance artist and educator based in Boston. His creative practice is heavily influenced by Caribbean, Contemporary and improvisational dance forms. He is a graduate of the UArts School of Dance, Dir. Donna Faye Burchfield. He is currently a dancer with Danza Orgánica (Dir. Mar Parrilla) and BeHeard.World (Dir. Anna Myer).
Image: Cameron Kincheloe