Sleeping Babies / Social Sculptures was a convergence of dance, paint, sound, space, and skate. It was an homage to site; to the act of showing up; to the skate trick practiced again and again; to the small gaps of time when creativity is possible in the midst of a life in motion. The concept was inspired by artist Clark Derbes’ paintings on an abandoned stretch of I-89 that serves as an unofficial skate park for locals. He created the work while his baby napped nearby in a stroller, prompting Miller’s exploration of how the creative process can thrive whenever one makes the time.

The performance took cues from skaters. They make what they need, lean into the landscape, and shape it to the reckless beauty of play. Drawing on the act of painting and the motion of skaters riding across Clark’s concrete canvas, the dancers lifted the essence of his art off the surface of the highway, to be experienced in motion and dimension as living skate features. Ultimately, the piece was documented and transformed into multiple showings of an exhibition titled Baby Monitors that featured videos, photos, and music made during the original performance.