UNCAGED: a Ballet in Five Movements is a celebration of the artistic expressions of Afghan women, particularly those who have worked in secret in Afghanistan. The music was inspired by the work of Shajia Azhir, Khadija Doorman, Alina Gawhary and Elaha. Each movement is in two sections, an introduction over which original poetry is read in Persian and English and music for a dance inspired by individual paintings. The movements are:

I Dance (poetry and painting by Shajia Azhir)
Enough of Silence (poetry and painting by Shajia Azhir)
I will go to my homeland one day (poetry by Alina Gawhary, painting by Khadija Doorman)
The Colour of Tears (poetry by Alina Gawhary, painting by Elaha)
Warrior Woman (poetry by Alina Gawhary, painting by Khadija Doorman)

Uncaged: Illuminating Afghan women artists through live music and dance was commissioned by CUATRO PUNTOS, a Hartford, Connecticut organization that amplifies silenced, persecuted or underrepresented musicians and musical genres. The ballet was performed by Cuatro Puntos and Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet (choroegrapher Elisa Schroth) on 1 3 April 2025 at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Middletown, Connecticut.

The commission of Uncaged was very generously supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation.

A video of the performance and further information about the project, including details on how to support the work of Afghan artists can be found on https://www.beyondskin.net/uncaged

The work can performed with or without the texts, either as a score for ballet or as a stand alone instrumental work. Images of the artwork and the poetry can be supplied on request. The cover artwork by Shajia Azhir was commissioned especially for the project.

DURATION: c. 35 minutes complete / 25 minutes without poetry.