Girls Are Funny was presented in January 2006 with funding from the city of LA Department of Cultural Affairs. Using a multi-generational, all female cast ages 12 - 60, the work explored the notion of "becoming a woman" and featured, among other dances, a solo performed by choreographer Arianne MacBean, who was eight months pregnant at the time. 

Girls Are Funny was an evening-length dance-theater piece that asked the audience to participate in the act of creativity and to give feedback to the artists. The finale of the entire show was actually determined by the audience in the form of a dance auction. Audience members bid on the dance they wanted to end the show. The highest bidder got to choose which dance would culminate the evening's performance. The show emphasized the notion of process, not product, and highlighted different stages in a woman's development.

The work was featured in an article by local journalist Fiona Cole about "modern mamas" and how pregnancy is no longer something that slows a woman down, but rather gives her reason to feel empowered and creative.
Read the article below!

A Modern Mama and the New Age of Pregnancy - 
Arianne MacBean breaks barriers with new show
by Fiona Cole
Correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers & the Studio City Sun
January 20, 2006

Not so long ago, having a baby meant the end of worldly ambitions, artistic pursuits, and cute revealing outfits. Becoming pregnant was a sacred occurrence, but it was one marked by shapeless tent dresses and a retreat into domesticity. Over the last few decades, the face of maternity has undergone a serious makeover. There is nothing shy and retiring about today's pregnant women.

Once shrouded in mystery, pregnancy is now reveled in and exposed. It's not just the growing baby who is adored and admired, it's the women themselves. Being pregnant is no longer about giving up and getting frumpy. It's a chance to openly celebrate sensuality, femininity, and the very essence of womanhood.

Los Angeles-based Choreographer, dance activist and mother-to-be, Arianne MacBean is an inspiring example of this new generation of women who are pushing the envelope and redefining the experience of motherhood for themselves. Already a leading figure in L.A.'s modern dance-theater scene, MacBean is venturing into new territory with her latest creation, "Girls Are Funny." MacBean, who is also Artist-in-Residence with the city of Los Angeles, conceived the idea for the show shortly after she found out she was pregnant. The concept has grown with her belly.

"Establishing feminine identity takes a lifetime, " MacBean said. "We never finish finding out who we are. This work embodies the feminine notion of process, not product."

Pregnant women today are empowered by information and choice. The old stuffy book about childbirth has been replaced by a plethora of literature explicitly covering everything you would ever want to know about pregnancy. Web sites and blogs talk openly about health, sex, and accessing the goddess within. Quiet reserved tupper parties have made way for raucous henna parties where moms-to-be sip 'mocktails,' compare notes and decorate their bellies with henna tattoos.

Modern maternity clothes, too, reflect this changing attitude towards the pregnant form. Clothes for pregnant women are now designed to emphasize, rather than conceal, their ample curves. Protruding bellies and voluptuous cleavages are proudly flaunted.

The pioneering efforts of female artists like MacBean are contribuing to a major shift in how pregnancy is represented in the art world. Pregnant bellies have inspired art throughout history. Today, traditional gender roles have broken down and women have reclaimed the narrative. Moms-to-be are no longer longer just the subjects of these art forms, they are the creators.

MacBean's new modern dance-theater show is an ambitious undertaking. Of all the art forms, dance presents perhaps the most challenges to a women attempting to integrate the experience of pregnancy into her artwork. Under the critical eye of the modern dance world, drawing attention to a dancer's body during pregnancy seems an unlikely choice. Yet, as MacBean asserts, it is probably one of the most poignant times in a dancer's life.

This poignancy has been the driving force behind Girls Are Funny, which is an evening-length exploration of femininity and the process of forming female identity. The show features a multi-generational, all female cast, ranging in age from 12 - 60. Based on her own ever-changing life experiences, MacBean describes the show as an on-going project that will never be performed the same way twice.

The various segments, which include, "Friends," "Mother-Daughter" and "The Inner Life" delve unflinchingly onto the complexities of the female psyche. MacBean skillfully balances intensity and conflict with humor, tenderness and charm to create a work which is both entertaining and moving.

One thing that will definitely change is MacBean's solo. At the time of the performance, she will be eight months pregnant. MacBean plans to project images of palm trees and telegraph wires on the wall behind her as she performs her piece to a new arrangement of Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow."

After developing the idea for the show, Macbean found out she is having a girl. "My hope is that she will one day watch a video of the show and see herself there, amidst the the beauty and messiness of existence, and she will be inspired to get through it with grace."