Performance Exhibition
Concerts of Dance: Laura Baumeister and Jenna Weatherbie
Saturday, May 9 1:00-2:00 pm Register Now Free; Registration Recommended
Evolving from a process spanning nearly two years, Laura Baumeister and Jenna Weatherbie present their freshly finalized work, Inosculate. Born from a series of long-form improvisational sessions, the dancers wanted to find a mutual language that felt genuine, instinctual, and embedded in their relationship to one another. Described as the act of joining as one by intertwining, the word ‘inosculate’ is most commonly used to recognize the process in trees that, over the span of years, may knock into one another as they grow and are moved by the wind. By rare chance, they fuse at their exposed wounds before healing to become one interconnected organism. Born from a series of long-form improvisational sessions and rooted in trust and relational intimacy, this project examines closeness formed by necessity versus choice, and the quiet tenderness embedded in everyday acts of care—buttoning clothing, braiding hair, tying ribbons, and holding one another. (Duration: 40–50 minutes).
The performers will hold open rehearsals and improvisational performances in the Murphy Auditorium Wednesday, May 6–Friday May 8, leading up to the final performance.
This event is free and open to the public, with donations gratefully accepted in support of continued cultural programming.
Lead support for Brendan Fernandes: In the Round is provided by Cari and Michael J. Sacks.
Major support is provided by the Driehaus Trust Company, LLC, Anne L. Kaplan, and Gary Metzner and Scott Johnson.
Generous support is provided by Elizabeth Liebman.
Additional support is provided by Friends of Brendan Fernandes.
About the Performers
Laura Baumeister (they/she) is a freelance movement artist, with a BFA in Modern Dance. They have dedicated much of their independent work to long form improvisational studies in composing movement from a base of imagery, sound scores, environment, and deep feeling. Laura has found that disentangling the brain and personality from how we innately move is a delightfully impossible feat; thus letting them inform and inspire one another lets us explore ourselves and others in an inexplicable profound way. Their most recent projects include GRIT by Maggie Vannucci, an evening length work created for the Steppenwolf Lookout Series, as well as performing as part of an improvisational multi-disciplinary exhibition with movement partner Katlin Bourgeois, The Rite created by Brendan Fernandes, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for the exhibition City in a Garden, from July 2025–March 2026. She also participated as a performer and choreographer for Little Fire Artist Collective in November of 2025. Baumeister has been part of work for Brendan Fernandes at The Driehaus Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Oxbow School of Art and Artists’ residency, and The Raclin Murphy Museum. They have also performed in works by Jessi Stegall, Noelle Kayser, Robyn Mineko Williams, Sophie Allen, Chih-Jou Cheng for the Chicago Cultural Center Artist Residency, Rebecca Aneloski (And Artists Company), and Fever Dream Dance Company. They are currently coming to the end of a two year long process creating an evening-length work with their close friend and collaborator Jenna Weatherbie; a premiere of the work in the process of being finalized.
Jenna Weatherbie (she/her) is a Texas-born dancer, choreographer, instructor, and creative. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of Texas at Austin and 12 years of multidisciplinary training, she has expanded her performance and teachings to the Chicagoland area. She has worked with a number of renowned choreographers including Robyn Mineko Williams, Jesse Zarrit, Charles O. Anderson, Erica Gionfriddo, Noelle Kayser, Andy Noble, Justin Giles, and Jessi Stegall. She has performed with SoulEscape The Company, ARCOS Dance, COMMON Conservatory, and Fever Dream Dance Collective. Jenna currently serves as the Co-Coach of the Wilmette Park District Dance Alliance and is an instructor at The Social Dance Studio. Dance continues to be a meaningful form of expression in Jenna’s life and she hopes to share her passion, curiosity, and creative freedom with as many people as possible.