The Shakers, known for building spiritual intentional communities across the United States, arrived from Manchester England with their leader Mother Ann Lee in 1776. While Lee is often hailed as “Holy Mother Wisdom” or “Second Coming of Christ in female form”, Shaker brothers and sisters were ordinary people who opted to forego their families and worldly possessions in order to enter into an extraordinary egalitarian community, where all property was held in common. In keeping with a popular Shaker phrase “Hands to work. Hearts to God,” each day was filled with the disciplined physical and spiritual tasks of transforming the earth into Heaven.
Today, Shakers are considered the longest-running American “utopian” experiment. Their early adopted nickname “Shaking Quakers” referred to their organized and free-form styles of dance worship, which they called “Laboring”. Alternatively, prayer was often called “exercise”. Their marching, singing, whirling, and clapping were carefully constructed activities held within their own sacred spaces as a way to shake off sin or express joy and devotion. While known for their celibacy, Shakers remain present in their bodies despite a long lineage of Christian faiths divorcing the body and spirit.
Molteni’s Shaker Work-Out positions stylized, improvisational versions of these dances alongside pop hits, functioning as episodic work-out videos that bring forward forms of joy and ritual the Shakers hold high. These videos were shot during a brief residency at Canterbury Shaker Village. They are inspired by over a decade of Molteni’s research in Shaker archives/ spaces combined with a love for movement and pop music.
This is not a documentary or reenactment of historic Shaker practices, but the playful imagining of a Shaker freak. You can learn more about the authentic practices of the living Shakers where they reside today in Sabbathday Lake, Maine. The artist extends their gratitude for being welcomed at their services over the years.