Dad Dancing

Dad Dancing

Who gets to dance? Who gets to be in their body? On stage and in life? Dad Dancing is a ‘sort-of’ dance show by writer and performer, Charlie Josephine, about becoming a trans dad, whilst losing a dad. Unpicking fatherhood, grief and gender.

I’m gagging to get out of my head and move my body.

In the winter of 2021, Charlie was approved to adopt, met the woman who is now his wife, his Dad died and he started medically transitioning. Years later, he is happy in his body, but the world is a mess and words alone no longer can solely express everything he wants to say.

I’ve had to do a lot of paperwork in the last 5 years; probate stuff around my dad, and trans health care stuff, adoption stuff, IVF stuff, legal documents all to officially become my daughters dad. All written in an archaic binary patriarchal language that lands violently in my body. I’m really done with words for a bit. There’s a pain and a rage there, but also there’s so much love and gratitude – like how am I meant to put into words the joy and the awe and wonder of meeting my daughter? And the strange closeness I have with my dad now he’s dead, we get on way better. And the joy of now being handsome and hot.

Words are shit. Words fail us. Perhaps we’d all get on better if we got off the internet and went out dancing together? This is Charlie’s return to the solo writer/performer role since his multi-award winning, Bitch Boxer, first performed in 2012.

For more information, please email our Producer Fiona Bradley on [email protected]

Photos © Aggie Homer