While in residence at MANCC, Emily Johnson wanted an opportunity to work with five Tallahassee groups. Though the members of each group did not have to know each other, they shared a common activity. Local Painters, Hula Hoopers, Roller Girls, Knitters, and Tango Dancers came to the Black Box Studio for a series of gestural workshops. Johnson and her collaborators worked with each group to find a common movement impulse. To accomplish this goal, Johnson guided everyone through structured improvisational directives. Describing the process, participant Ashley Ivey noted, “She approached each step of the process with a certain amount of wonder and reverence that was surprising and lovely to witness. She had us break down the process of knitting verbally and then close our eyes to demonstrate each of the steps. There are a couple of different accepted methods of knitting and that made it a bit more difficult perhaps. She watched us for a while and then asked us to isolate and explore certain movements. In the end she asked us to keep mentally going through the whole process even though we only acted out certain parts of the movements to keep something of the rhythm of the action.” Though each knitter approached the task in an individual way, Johnson was able to extract a movement that the group shared unconsciously.

After this discovery, Johnson experimented with staging the group as performers who inform and contribute to the “cellular” structure of Niicugni. In this way, each group’s gestures were transformed into profound symbols for the individual’s contribution to the workshop, the dance, the group, and the larger society. Reflecting upon the opportunity to engage with Johnson in this Entrypoint, Ivey felt that, “The work-in-progress was extremely beautiful. I feel really lucky to have had the experience.”