She Did That! Honoring the Women Who Shaped Us

fullcircledance
Jun 13
5 min read

As we prepare for Full Circle Dance Company’s 25th anniversary performance Rooted and Rising, we are creating something deeply personal: a new collaborative work titled She Did That! This piece is more than choreography—it’s an act of remembrance, of honoring, and of storytelling.

Inspired by our recent free community workshop, She Did That! is grounded in the stories of ancestors—mothers, grandmothers, mentors, and trailblazers—whose love and strength live on in those they touched. Through movement, we are giving voice to these women’s legacies.

Some of the artists involved in this new work have chosen to honor a specific woman from their own lineage—someone whose impact continues to shape their lives and their artistry. Two of our dancers, Amanda Rosenbaum and Hope B. Byers, share here about the women whose spirits move through them and whose stories will echo through this performance.

Rose Mary O’Brien, as told by Amanda Rosenbaum

If you are blessed to know Rose Mary O’Brien, you know that you are in the presence of a true treasure. To be her child is an amazing experience. To be one of her patients as she assists in the arrival of your child—you become one of hers, and that child becomes one of her babies. As a nursing instructor, her students become her kids. If you are a member of Full Circle, you have been chosen as one of her "dance daughters".

She moves through life with grace and purpose, leaving a legacy of strength, compassion, and excellence in everything she touches. She doesn’t just teach—she instills greatness. She doesn’t just care—she transforms lives. Her impact on our world, from the families she’s served to the nurses she’s trained, is profound and lasting.

This piece honors women like Rose Mary—women who have made it their mission to lift others.

Mattie Lee Brownfield Hewitt Watson, as told by Hope B. Byers

Mattie Lee Brownfield Hewitt Watson, October 8, 1911—January 1, 2013

“Put your notebook under your pillow to retain it for the test.” That was my Momo, my grandmother, Mattie Lee Brownfield Hewitt Watson. A retired educator, she was my built-in tutor. She’d help me study for a test, then tell me to place my notebook under my pillow to keep the material fresh on my mind while I slept. I mean, it worked for her. A brilliant student, she skipped the third grade and graduated as valedictorian of her high school class. And growing up poor didn’t deter her one bit; it fueled her determination to excel.

On Momo’s high school experience, she said she was the poorest student in her class, but her classmates never looked down on her. She also graduated with honors from the Louisiana Negro Normal Industrial Institute which would become Grambling State University. In her later years, in a letter to me, she wrote that she worked hard to let people know that poor people could be smart. She said, “It is not money, but a will to go forward with the will of God.”

Momo became an elementary teacher in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana and taught for many years, including teaching my mother as a young child. She also grew up in the church and was a devout Christian. Later in life, she became a certified lay speaker in our church, and would minister in the absence of the pastor. She was truly a woman of many facets, but most endearing to me was her love for fun and jokes. Her infectious laugh and dimply smile are imprinted on my heart.

When she passed in 2013 at 101 years old, I wrote this poem for her homegoing. One poem could never sum up all she was, but it offers a glimpse into what she meant to me and her profound impact on my life.

Mattie Lee

Hey Mattie Lee with that twinkle in your eye and that dimple on your cheek…

She was known as Momo to me, my mama’s mama who lived just over the hill and in her yard – a magnolia and fig tree. You see, I remember sitting on her porch with not a care in the world, as the scent of magnolias tickled my nose and then going to pick sweet figs to nibble on – that’s what I did over at Mo’s.

Oh, how she would grin when her mean old hens would peck at my feet- that’s when we’d go collect eggs from the chicken coup. Not so fun for me Momo, not so fun for me!

Hey Mattie Lee with that twinkle in your eye and that dimple on your cheek…

She called me Hopie Poo. Yoo hoo Hopie Poo, where are you? I’d be in the back yard making mud pies – yes, I said mud pies - just as dirty as I could be. But then, I’d have to get all cleaned up because she was getting ready to make my favorite treat. No, not apple pie or ice cream or even a candy sweet – it was cornbread and buttermilk. Um, um, um that stuff was goooood – and she’d put a little dash of sugar on it, cause she just got it – she understood.

Hey Mattie Lee with that twinkle in your eye and that dimple on your cheek…

Nothing like having a tutor for free. A retired teacher – who better than Momo to help me study. I remember going over times tables at the dining table and other subjects in my room. You see, as my brothers can attest to, growing up with two educators in the family- our mother plus a grandmother in tow, it could a little stressful you know. I mean when it came to that thing called school, Momo had Mama’s back in keeping us cool.

Even when it was time to rest, Momo said “put your notebook under your pillow to retain it for the test!” Well, while it might have seemed silly at the time, I turned out to be a good student and carried that tip even through college. And when my roommates would look at me funny, I’d say, “You should try it, to retain your knowledge.” Good night!

Hey Mattie Lee with that twinkle in your eye and that dimple on your cheek…

She gave me so much - gifts of spirituality and humor and punchbowl cake, but the best gift she gave me was MHB, that would be the one and only Margie Hewitt Brown. By giving birth to my mother, a special trajectory was set for me. Passing down what her mother taught to her and what she taught to her child and Mama instilling those values in me, is a true blessing of love and legacy.

I’m grateful for the teachings of respect and honor and grace, but the gift of… fashion and style, now that’s one that I really value okay. We can’t help it, it’s just a me, mama and Momo thang.

So, take your rest Mattie Lee. After 101 years you have more than earned to bask in the eternal light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And don’t you worry, everyone will see, I will keep your twinkle in my eye and that dimple on my cheek.

Love, your granddaughter, Hope

Give in Her Name. Share in Our Story.

She Did That! is our tribute to the women who carried us forward—who dared, who dreamed, who did. This November, their stories will take center stage at the Baltimore Museum of Art as part of our 25th anniversary performance.

We invite you to be part of this tribute.

Make a donation in honor of a woman who changed your life. Whether it’s your mother, grandmother, teacher, or friend, we will proudly include both of your names in our Rooted and Rising concert program.

Your gift will support the creation of She Did That!, helping us raise $10,000 to bring this powerful new work to life.

👉 Honor Her — Give in Her Name. Because when she did that… everything changed.