2017 MVA Thesis Projects 

Kaley and Klay are expecting their first child and, like an increasing number of couples in Los Angeles, are planning a home birth with the support of a doula. Doulas are non-medical birthing coaches who provide continuous emotional support and education during prenatal, labor, delivery and post-partum care. Dance of Three focuses on the role of the doula, whose support and advocacy make up an essential part of the birthing team. In contrast to Western biomedicine, which treats pregnancy as an illness, Kaley and Klay view pregnancy as a mother-centered event and work with their doula, Arielle, to make birth a positive, empowering and educational experience. This visual ethnography follows Kaley, Klay, and Arielle from pre-natal care through delivery, detailing the values and practices of alternative birthing and the young couple’s struggle to have a voice in their birthing process. Dance of Three reveals that doulas do not aim to remove birthing from the context of Western biomedicine but, rather, to reintroduce a model of female empowerment into the system.

 

Running time: 29 minutes