Archaeological evidence from the prehistoric world shows that the earth was once viewed and worshipped as a living, female being: the Great Mother. Across the world this primary goddess took different names and shapes but was never limited to the sole quality of motherhood: she was a warrior, the creator of life and death, nurturing yet terrifying, in control of the forces around her with the Yoni as a common symbol of her powers, free from any of today's stigma.

When women with authority are portrayed, not only in dance but in media, film and society as a whole it is often a lonely, bitter woman we see, incapable of working with others; despite what studies about female leadership show us. There is a lack of honest, positive portraits of women with power so with Magna Mater Jennifer Drotz Ruhn wanted to explore complex female characters where the dynamic and powerful group they create is a given, not an exception. In a world where leaders in politics, religion and media are overwhelmingly male it is intriguing that when civilization first took form, the highest entity was a woman.

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Magna Mater had its world premiere at The Stockholm Dance Film Festival in December 2016.