ANNOUNCER: TONIGHT ON SHOWCASE WITH BARBARA KELLAR, GUEST HOST JACKIE CONGEDO GUIDES US THROUGH A SPECIAL TWO PART EPISODE CENTERED ON OUR STORY, A POWERFUL PERFORMANCE CREATED WITH THE CINCINNATI BALLET THAT BRINGS HOLOCAUST TESTIMONY TO LIFE THROUGH DANCE, MUSIC AND SPOKEN WORD.

JACKIE SITS DOWN WITH CHOREOGRAPHER DAVID MORRIS TO EXPLORE THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE WORK, THEN SPEAKS WITH HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR MONIQUE ROTHSCHILD AND DANCER TAYLOR CARRASCO ABOUT THE DEEP EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF SHARING THESE STORIES ON STAGE.

STAY WITH US.

SHOWCASE STARTS RIGHT NOW.

CONGEDO: HELLO AND WELCOME TO A VERY SPECIAL EPISODE OF SHOWCASE.

I'M JACKIE CONGEDO, CEO OF THE NANCY AND DAVID WOLF HOLOCAUST AND HUMANITIES CENTER AND A LONGTIME STORYTELLER ROOTED IN THIS COMMUNITY.

I'M HONORED TO BE STEPPING IN TODAY AS A GUEST HOST FOR THIS SEGMENT.

BARBARA'S DEEP LOVE FOR THIS COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE HEART OF SHOWCASE, AND WHILE SHE COULDN'T BE HERE FOR THIS EPISODE, SHE WILL BE BACK WITH US NEXT WEEK.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE BRING TOGETHER TWO POWERFUL CONVERSATIONS THAT EXPLORE HOW STORYTELLING, MEMORY, AND THE ARTS CAN SHAPE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PAST AND OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.

WE'LL BEGIN OUR CONVERSATION WITH DAVID MORSE, A CHOREOGRAPHER WITH THE CINCINNATI BALLET AND THE CREATIVE FORCE BEHIND OUR STORY, A BALLET THAT CAPTURES THE RESILIENCE AND SPIRIT OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS THROUGH CHOREOGRAPHY.

ORIGINALLY CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMANITIES CENTER, OUR STORY INVITES AUDIENCES TO EXPERIENCE HISTORY THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL POWER OF PERFORMANCE.

AFTERWARDS, WE'LL HEAR FRO CINCINNATI BALLET DANCER TAYLOR CARRASCO AND HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR MONIQUE ROTHSCHILD, WHOSE BOND BRINGS THIS STORY TO LIFE IN A WAY THAT IS BOTH DEEPLY HUMAN AND DEEPLY MOVING.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, AND IT IS WONDERFUL TO BE JOINED BY THE INDOMITABLE AND BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING WHO IS DAVID MORRIS, THE CHOREOGRAPHER OF OUR STORY.

WE'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND WORK TOGETHER ON THIS, AND IT IS SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US TODAY.

MORSE: THANKS, JACKIE.

CONGEDO: I WANTED TO JUST FIRST ASK YOU ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THIS PIECE.

UM, I DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH BECAUSE THE BEGINNINGS OF THIS COLLABORATION ACTUALLY CAME ABOUT BEFORE I WAS IN MY ROLE AT THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMANITY CENTER.

AND SO I CALLED OUR DEAR MUTUAL FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE SARA WEISS, WHO IS THE CENTER'S FORMER CEO, AND ASKED HER ABOUT THE OPENING OF OUR MUSEUM AT UNION TERMINAL IN 2019 AFTER THE HISTORIC RENOVATIONS WERE COMPLETED IN THE BUILDING AT UNION TERMINAL.

AND WE WERE HAVING, WELL, WE -- SHE AT THE TIME WERE HOSTING THIS BEAUTIFUL GALA TO MARK THIS INCREDIBLE OCCASION OF THE CENTER OPENING IN THE VERY PLACE WHERE SURVIVORS TOOK THEIR FIRST STEPS AT REBUILDING THEIR LIVES, COMING OFF OF THE TRAINS FROM WAR TORN EUROPE.

AND SO, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND AND WHAT SARAH WAS SHARING, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO HONOR THIS OCCASION IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY RECEIVE IT, BECAUSE UNION TERMINAL IS BEAUTIFUL.

AND ALSO THE SOUND IS REALLY TOUGH IN THERE.

IT'S HARD TO HEAR.

AND SO SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT POSSIBLY BALLET THROUGH MOVEMENT WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL WAY FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DISTILL SOME MEANING IN THIS MOMENT AND IN A REALLY SORT OF CREATIVE AND PERSONAL WAY.

SO, YOU WERE BROUGHT IN SHORTLY AFTER THAT IDEA SURFACED.

TELL ME ABOUT THE FIRST MOMENTS WHEN THIS PROJECT WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION AND HOW IT CAME TO LIFE FOR YOU.

MORSE: YEAH.

WELL, THANKS.

FIRSTLY, IT'S JUST A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TALKING TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THIS MEANINGFUL WORK.

IN 2019, THE MUSEUM WAS OPENING, SO JUST -- I GUESS THAT WAS JANUARY.

SO IN LATE 2018 OUR FORMER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, VICTORIA MORGAN, CAME TO ME AND ASKED IF I WOULD BE WILLING TO CREATE A NEW DANCE WORK ON THE SUBJECT OF THE HOLOCAUST.

SHE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS FOR THIS SORT OF CELEBRATORY OCCASION, THIS OPENING, AND THOSE THINGS SEEMED REALLY AT ODDS TO ME.

THIS INCREDIBLY SERIOUS AND TOUGH AND CALAMITOUS SUBJECT MATTER WITH WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE SOMETHING, YEAH, A CELEBRATION, REALLY EXCITING, THIS BIG OPENING AND A NEW CHAPTER FOR HHC.

SO INITIALLY I WAS QUITE HESITANT BECAUSE FROM MY CHOREOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE, IT JUST WASN'T TWO IDEAS THAT I COULD MARRY, YOU KNOW?

DANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I ASSOCIATE WITH JOY AND ENERGY AND LIGHT AND ALL THESE KIND OF THINGS.

AND IT JUST SEEMED AT ODDS.

SO I TOLD HER, I'D THINK ABOUT IT.

AND I DID A BIT OF READING AND A BIT OF RESEARCH.

AND THE SORT OF OVERWHELMING FEELING THAT I HAD WAS THAT IF I WAS GOING TO DO THIS, IT NEEDED TO BE OUT OF DUTY AND SORT OF A RESPONSIBILITY AND AN OBLIGATION TO HONOR THE VICTIMS.

AND SARAH WAS SO INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING ME FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT -- HOW TO DO THAT AND THE RIGHT VOICE WITH WHICH TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS TOPIC.

AND SHE WAS SO-- SHE WAS SO ADAMANT THAT IT BE HOPE DRIVEN.

AND THAT IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO WITH SUCH A TOUGH TOPIC.

BUT SHE WAS SO HELPFUL, AND HER AND I WORKED TOGETHER A LOT ON THIS IDEA OF INCLUDING LITERAL SURVIVOR TESTIMONY.

SO THE VOICES OF SURVIVORS ARE ACTUALLY PRESENT IN THE SCORE OF THE WORK.

CONGEDO: WOVEN IN TOWARDS THE END OF THE PIECE.

MORSE: YEAH, KIND OF LAYERED IN WITH THE MUSIC.

AND THAT FELT LIKE A REALLY SORT OF KEY, IMPORTANT MOMENT TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY HEAR THESE PEOPLE'S VOICES.

AND THEY'RE SORT OF PLEADING WITH US IN THE WORK AND BEGGING US, PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO SEE THE HUMANITY IN ONE ANOTHER.

YOU HAVE TO BE MORE INVESTED IN YOUR COMMUNITY, ALL THOSE BEAUTIFUL IDEAS.

SO THEN FROM THERE, WHEN I KIND OF AGREED THAT, OKAY, I THINK THIS IS DANCEABLE.

I THINK WE CAN DO THIS.

I THINK WITH THE HELP OF SO MANY OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE WE FOUND THE RIGHT WAY TO SAY THIS.

IT ALL CAME TOGETHER RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

I THINK WE HAD MAYBE A WEEK OR TWO OF REHEARSAL WITH OUR REMARKABLE SECOND COMPANY DANCERS.

AND THEY JUST DANCED EXQUISITELY ON THAT OPENING IN EARLY 2019.

AND THE PIECE WAS SO GENEROUSLY RECEIVED AND PEOPLE WERE SO KIND WITH THEIR REMARKS.

AND THEN FROM THERE, WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT IT AND SORT OF SPEAK MORE ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT WORK.

CONGEDO: YEAH, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE.

I REMEMBER BEING THERE IN THE ROTUNDA WHEN IT WAS SORT OF THE DEBUT DURING THE OPENING.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HEAR A PIN DROP IN THE ROTUNDA, WHICH, AS I SAID, ACOUSTICALLY, SAYS A LOT.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RESEARCH THAT YOU DID.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU SHARED THAT THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU REALLY TOOK VERY SERIOUSLY IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TELLING THESE STORIES AND, YOU KNOW, WITH SARAH'S SUPPORT, WHICH IS SO IN KEEPING WITH THE MISSION OF OUR MUSEUM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME AND THEY THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY HEAVY, DARK EXPERIENCE.

AND YES, THE HISTORY IS INCREDIBLY TRAGIC AND COMPELLING AND SORROWFUL IN MANY WAYS.

BUT THE RESILIENCE AND THE HOPE OF OUR SURVIVORS THAT GUIDE YOU THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE.

AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MUSEUM ENDS ON THIS SORT OF CADENCE OF THE REST OF THE STORY LIES IN YOUR HANDS, THE VISITOR, OR THE PERSON WHO'S SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE CONSUMING THIS, RECEIVING THIS.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AS YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THIS JOURNEY OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO BUILD THIS, WHAT WAS THE RESEARCH THAT YOU DID?

I KNOW YOU TOOK IT VERY PERSONALLY AND VERY SERIOUSLY.

MORSE: YEAH, OF COURSE I TRIED TO DO A LOT OF READING.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY REALLY POWERFUL HOLOCAUST TESTIMONIES FROM SURVIVORS.

SO THAT WAS SORT OF A FIRST STOP.

AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLY INFORMATIVE AND JUST SHATTERING, IN A WAY, TO READ A LOT OF THAT TOUGH, TOUGH LITERATURE.

BUT IT ALSO, THAT REINFORCED FOR ME THAT THIS MATERIAL WAS DANCEABLE.

THE SUBJECT MATTER WAS DANCEABLE FOR THE HOPEFUL ASPECTS, BUT ALSO THE DIFFICULT ASPECTS.

SO MUCH OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE DESCRIBE IS THEIR BODIES AND THEIR PHYSICALITY WAS BEING PUSHED TO THE LIMITS, PUSHED TO THE ABSOLUTE EXTREMES.

SO WHAT I HOPE THE AUDIENCE COULD CONNECT WITH IS THIS IDEA OF LIKE A KINESTHETIC EMPATHY.

IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO REACH OUT FOR SOMEONE TO PICK UP, PICK SOMEONE UP OR HOLD SOMEONE CLOSE.

LIKE, WE'VE ALL DONE THOSE THINGS.

SO WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE DO THAT ON STAGE, IT MAKES THE CHOREOGRAPHY A LINK TO THE HISTORY, BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT IN YOU, INNATELY, YOU HAVE FELT THOSE MOVEMENTS, MAYBE NOT TO THAT EXTREME, BUT IT CAN BRING YOU CLOSER TO THIS HISTORY IN A WAY THAT A BOOK MAYBE CAN'T IN THE SAME WAY.

SO THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY AN INFORMATIVE PART OF THE PROCESS.

OF COURSE, I VISIT HHC ALL THE TIME BECAUSE I LOVE IT THERE.

CONGEDO: WE LOVE HAVING YOU.

MORSE: YEAH.

AND, UM, I WAS ALSO ABLE TO GO TO VISIT THE WONDERFUL MUSEUM IN DC, THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM THERE THAT IS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND SO DENSELY PACKED WITH INFORMATION AND EMOTION.

AND THEN THE SORT OF FINAL KEY PIECE OF RESEARCH THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO, WHICH I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY WAS TO GO TO CENTRAL EUROPE, AND SPEND SOME TIME IN VISITING SOME CAMPS AND A LOT OF THE HISTORICAL MEMORIALS AND SITES.

AND WHAT IS SO DIFFICULT TO ARTICULATE IS THE SORT OF SEISMIC SHIFT AND CHANGE THAT I FELT HAPPEN INSIDE OF MYSELF OVER THOSE TEN DAYS.

ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN THERE I KNOW KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

MY WIFE AND I, WE STOOD, YOU KNOW, ON THE TRAIN TRACKS IN AUSCHWITZ AND STANDING ON THAT HALLOWED GROUND, AFTER HAVING READ ALL OF THIS INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY AND BEING IN THOSE PLACES AND FEELING THE PALPABLE HISTORY IN THE AIR, ON YOUR FEET, ON YOUR HANDS, EVERYWHERE AROUND YOU.

IT COMPLETELY CHANGED WHO I WAS AS A PERSON AND OF COURSE, AS A CHOREOGRAPHER.

AND I KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY OR THE TIME OR THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.

AND FOR ANYONE WHO DOES, PLEASE DO IT BECAUSE IT'S SO TRANSFORMATIVE.

BUT THEN AFTER BEING ABLE TO TAKE THAT TRIP, WHAT I FELT WAS, OKAY, THIS THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE, I FELT SORT OF A RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO CREATE THAT.

IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME, BUT AS CLOSE TO THAT AS I POSSIBLY COULD FOR OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS TO BE REALLY VISCERALLY CONNECTED TO THIS MATERIAL, TO THE HISTORY OF IT, BUT THEN ALSO TO SORT OF TURN THE FOCUS BACK ON THEM AT THE END OF THE WORK.

AND TO ME, THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF THIS WORK LIES IN TWO THINGS.

NUMBER ONE, WHETHER OR NOT WE HONORED THE VICTIMS, THAT THAT HAS TO BE NUMBER ONE.

AND TO ME, THAT'S ABOUT TRUTH TELLING.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING INSIDE OF THE CHOREOGRAPHY, INSIDE OF THE SCENIC DESIGN, INSIDE OF THE MUSIC, INSIDE OF THE COSTUME DESIGN, ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO DECISION MAKING WISE IN THOSE REALMS THAT HAD TO DO WITH TELLING THE TRUTH, WE DID IT.

AND THAT TO ME REPRESENTS A WIN AND THAT REPRESENTS AN HONORING OF THE VICTIMS AND AN HONESTY TO THE VICTIMS AND TO THE HISTORY.

AND NUMBER TWO WOULD BE IF WE WERE ABLE TO ASK OUR VIEWERS TO LOOK INWARD ON THEMSELVES.

THE MOST POWERFUL PIECE OF TESTIMONY THAT I READ WAS FROM EDITH EGGER IN HER BOOK THE CHOICE.

AND SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW SHE FEELS THAT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON HER EVERY DAY TO LOOK INWARD AND ROOT OUT THE HATE ROOT OUT THE NAZI IS THE WORD SHE USES WITHIN HERSELF.

AND HOLY COW, AS A SURVIVOR OF THE HOLOCAUST, TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT, IF SHE CAN -- IF SHE CAN SAY THAT, THEN WE CAN ALL SAY THAT, AND WE CAN ALL DO BETTER TO LOOK INWARD ON OURSELVES AND ROOT OUT A BIT OF HATE AND MORE DEEPLY RECOGNIZE THE HUMANITY OF OUR NEIGHBORS.

THOSE, TO ME, ARE THE TWO SORT OF CRITERIA UPON WHICH THE WHOLE SORT OF CREATIVE PROCESS WAS BASED.

CONGEDO: WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT COMES THROUGH BEAUTIFULLY IN TERMS OF THE WAY THIS CAME OUT AND THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE AUDIENCE.

I'M SO EXCITED FOR CINCINNATI TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART THAT YOU'VE DEVELOPED AGAIN.

IT WILL BE MAY 1-4 AT THE ARONOFF, AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE BALLET'S WEBSITE, CBALLET.ORG.

SO IF YOU ARE ABLE, EVERYONE SHOULD COME OUT AND SEE THIS PIECE.

IT IS DEEPLY MOVING.

AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT'S AN IMPORTANT CHALLENGE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE BEST AND THE WORST OF HUMANITY LIVES WITHIN EACH OF US.

AND HOW CAN WE WRESTLE WITH THAT IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO BUILD THE KINDS OF COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES AND WORLD THAT WE WANT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO GROW UP IN?

SO IT'S THE WORK WE DO EVERY DAY AT THE CENTER.

IT'S THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE SO BEAUTIFULLY DONE WITH THIS BALLET.

AND I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PARTAKE IN IT.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, AGAIN.

IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO BE IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU.

MORSE: THANKS, JACKIE.

CONGEDO: AT THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMANITY CENTER WE OFTEN SAY THAT HISTORY BECOMES MOST POWERFUL WHEN IT'S PERSONAL, WHEN WE CAN TRULY CONNECT WITH THE STORIES OF THOSE WHO LIVED IT.

THIS YEAR, AS WE PARTNERED WITH THE CINCINNATI BALLET FOR THE OUR STORY PERFORMANCES, THE BALLET CEO, DEBBIE BRANDT, AND I REALLY WANTED TO PROVIDE A DEEPER OPPORTUNITY FOR DANCERS TO CONNECT AND UNDERSTAND THE STORIES OF THE PEOPLE THEY ARE PORTRAYING, OUR INCREDIBLE HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS.

SO TOGETHER, WE BUILT A PROGRAM THAT CONNECTED THE COMPANY WITH SEVERAL OF OUR LOCAL SURVIVORS, WHO GENEROUSLY AGREED TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL HISTORIES AS PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS.

AND TODAY, I AM SO HONORED TO WELCOME TWO PEOPLE WHO TOOK PART IN THAT EXPERIENCE, TAYLOR CARRASCO, A DANCER AT THE CINCINNATI BALLET, AND MONIQUE ROTHSCHILD, A LOCAL HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR HERE IN CINCINNATI AND A DEAR FRIEND OF ALL OF OURS AT THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMANITY CENTER.

THEIR CONNECTION IS A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ART AND MEMORY MEET, AND WHEN STORYTELLING BECOMES A BRIDGE BETWEEN GENERATIONS.

SO MONIQUE AND TAYLOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME TODAY FOR THIS CONVERSATION.

MONIQUE, I WANT TO START JUST BY ASKING YOU, YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW TAYLOR.

AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU GUYS ARE BUDDIES NOW.

ROTHSCHILD: YEAH, WE ARE.

CONGEDO: TELL ME WHAT THIS HAS BEEN LIKE TO GET TO SHARE SO MUCH OF, YOU KNOW, YOUR PERSONAL STORY WITH HIM?

ROTHSCHILD: SURE.

WELL, BEFORE I DO THAT, I'D LIKE TO SAY HOW IMPRESSED I WAS WITH DAVID'S ELOQUENCE AND HOW HEARTFELT HIS COMMITMENT IS, NOT JUST TO HIS DANCERS AND TO HIS ART, BUT TO THE 6 MILLION AND THEIR SURVIVORS.

AND I JUST NOW, I'M SO EAGER TO SEE THIS BALLET.

I WISH IT WAS TOMORROW OR TONIGHT.

CONGEDO: IT IS, IT EXUDES FROM HIM, YOU'RE RIGHT, HIS COMMITMENT AND THE INTENTIONALITY THAT HE BRINGS TO THIS WORK.

AND I KNOW THAT FOR THE COMPANY AS WELL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS REALLY BEEN A PERSONAL JOURNEY, I THINK, FOR EACH OF THE DANCERS.

TELL ME ABOUT SORT OF WHEN THE TWO OF YOU FIRST MET AND WHAT THIS EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN LIKE, GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND SORT OF ALLOWING THAT TO INFORM, TAYLOR, HOW THIS COMES TO LIFE FOR YOU ON STAGE.

CARRASCO: ABSOLUTELY.

I WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SURVIVORS, AND WHEN I KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE DOING A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, I DIDN'T WANT TO JUMP IN FRONT OF A CAMERA WITH THAT BEING THE FIRST TIME THAT WE MET.

SO, I -- WHEN I WAS CONNECTED WITH MONIQUE, I WAS ABLE TO SPEND A COUPLE AFTERNOONS AT HER HOME, AND SHE VERY GRACIOUSLY WELCOMED ME IN.

AND I JUST WANTED TO CONNECT WITH HER AND JUST BE TWO HUMANS EXPERIENCING A MOMENT TOGETHER IN THIS SPACE.

AND SHE PROVIDED ME THAT OPPORTUNITY AND IT FELT REALLY INCREDIBLE.

AND AT FIRST WE JUST TALKED ABOUT LIFE, WHAT WE LIKE, WHAT WE DON'T LIKE.

AND EVENTUALLY WE GOT INTO A BIT OF THE NITTY-GRITTY AND HER BACKSTORY AND HER SURVIVAL STORY, WHICH WAS REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME AND HELPED INFORM HOW TO APPROACH IT, HOW TO APPROACH DAVID'S WORK.

BUT WHAT I REALLY GOT OUT OF IT WAS JUST A GOOD FRIEND WHO I CAN TALK ABOUT ART OR LIFE OR POLITICS WITH.

CONGEDO: WOW, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

BEAUTIFUL.

TELL US, MONIQUE, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY, YOU KNOW, YOUR PERSONAL STORY OF SURVIVAL, OF ESCAPE.

YOU WERE PROBABLY -- THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU KNOW BECAUSE IT WAS TOLD TO YOU.

ROTHSCHILD: RIGHT.

I HAVE NO MEMORY.

SO I THINK THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS ABOUT MY LIFE HAPPENED BEFORE I EVER KNEW.

BUT MY PARENTS WERE BOTH GERMAN JEWS.

AND BOTH OF THEM LEFT GERMANY ON THE SAME DAY.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT THEY LEFT ON MAY 1ST, 1933.

AND THEY MET IN PARIS.

AND FRANCE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, YOU KNOW, THIS VERY LIBERAL COUNTRY, THE COUNTRY OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN.

AND THINGS DETERIORATED VERY RAPIDLY AFTER 1939 WHEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY.

AND THEN THEY HAD A PACT WITH GERMANY, BUT THINGS WERE VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.

AND THE FRENCH REQUIRED ALL GERMAN MEN, PRIMARILY GERMAN JEWISH MEN LIVING IN FRANCE, TO REPORT TO LABOR CAMPS.

SO MY FATHER WAS IN A LABOR CAMP, AND AT ONE POINT HE WAS ON A LEAVE AND MY PARENTS WERE MARRIED AND MY MOTHER BECAME PREGNANT.

AND THEN SHE LOST TOUCH WITH MY FATHER.

AND SHE HAD TO TRAVEL ALL OVER FRANCE LOOKING FOR HIM WHILE SHE WAS VERY PREGNANT WITH ME.

CONGEDO: WOW.

AND SHE HAD TO CATCH, SHE HAD -- EVENTUALLY SHE WAS ABLE TO FIND PASSAGE OUT OF FRANCE, RIGHT, TO GET TO THE STATES?

ROTHSCHILD: YES, SO SHE FOUND MY FATHER IN THIS SMALL TOWN.

AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS BORN.

AND SO THEY HAD TO WORK VERY HARD TO FIND A WAY TO GET OUT OF FRANCE.

AND IT'S A LONG STORY, BUT MY FATHER, THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE HALFWAY THERE IN MARSEILLE.

AND MY FATHER WAS RE-ARRESTED.

AND MY MOTHER JUST HAD TO MAKE THIS TERRIBLE DECISION TO LEAVE WITHOUT HIM, BECAUSE BY THEN I WAS A FEW MONTHS OLD AND SHE NEEDED TO SAVE MY LIFE.

CONGEDO: BUT AS CHANCE WOULD TURN OUT, YOUR FATHER WAS ABLE TO REUNITE, RIGHT, WITH YOUR MOM AND WITH YOU.. AND YOU ALL BOARDED THE BOAT TOGETHER.

ROTHSCHILD: WE DID.

CONGEDO: AND WERE ABLE TO COME TO CINCINNATI AND VIA FIRST NEW YORK AND THEN INTO CINCINNATI ON THE TRAIN AT UNION TERMINAL.

ROTHSCHILD: EXACTLY.

CONGEDO: WOW, INCREDIBLE MIRACULOUS STORY, I THINK ON SO MANY, SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS.

TAYLOR, HEARING THE STORY NOW AND THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WHAT YOU'RE PORTRAYING ON STAGE ARE THE LIVED REALITIES OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THIS.

HOW DID YOU THINK ABOUT ALLOWING THAT HUMANITY TO INFORM WHAT YOU BRING TO THE PERFORMANCE?

CARRASCO: I THINK DAVID DID A GREAT JOB AT ENCOURAGING US TO REFLECT ON THE HUMANITY OF THE STORIES THAT WE'RE PORTRAYING.

AND THE FIRST TIME THAT WE PREMIERED THIS WORK, WE HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE PORTRAYING MANY PEOPLE AND A GROUP OF PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES, RATHER THAN FOCUSING IN ON ONE PERSON.

BUT BEFORE OPENING NIGHT, HE PRINTED OUT AN INDIVIDUAL SHEET OF PAPER FOR EACH OF THE DANCERS IN THE WORK WITH SOMEONE WHO WAS A VICTIM OF THE WAR, AND SOME SURVIVED AND SOME DID NOT.

BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY PINPOINT A SINGLE HUMAN STORY AND REALLY FOCUS ON IT AS WE DANCE, WHICH I THINK WAS EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE.

BUT THIS TIME AROUND, BEING ABLE TO SIT IN THE SAME ROOM WITH SOMEONE WHO WAS ABLE TO COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND BUILD SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LIFE AFTER EXPERIENCING SUCH TRAGEDY, HAS REALLY MADE ALL OF US DANCERS STEP INTO THAT STUDIO EVERY TIME WITH A FOCUS OF, UH, WITH A LOT OF GRAVITY, YOU KNOW?

WE WANT TO, OF COURSE, DANCE AS BEST AS WE CAN.

THAT'S OUR JOB.

WE WANT TO EXECUTE DAVID'S VISION AS BEST WE CAN, BUT IT'S NOT LOST ON A SINGLE ONE OF US IN THAT ROOM THE GRAVITY OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE WENT THROUGH.

AND THAT WE JUST NEED TO DO IT JUSTICE BY TAKING THEIR HUMANITY AND USING OUR OWN TO PORTRAY THAT ON STAGE.

CONGEDO: YEAH.

AND IT COMES ACROSS SO, SO CLEARLY AND BEAUTIFULLY FROM THE LAST TWO TIMES NOW THAT I'VE SEEN THIS PERFORMED.

AND I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE HOW YOU BRING IT TO LIFE AGAIN.

MONIQUE, I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, AS WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WRITING, DOING SOME OF YOUR OWN WRITING TO BRING THE STORY TO LIFE, YOUR FAMILY STORY, OR ON THE STAGE THROUGH CREATIVE MEDIUMS LIKE DANCE.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

ROTHSCHILD: WELL, I FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT PERSONALLY, BECAUSE THERE ARE -- I WAS A BABY, YOU KNOW?

I HAVE NO MEMORY OF THIS, BUT I FEEL IT INTERNALLY.

AND I FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY AS SOME OF OUR FRIENDS BEGIN TO PASS AWAY, I FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE TELLING THE STORY AND TELLING THE STORY OF MY PARENTS, WHO WERE HEROIC.

CONGEDO: YES.

THE REASON YOU'RE HERE TODAY.

ROTHSCHILD: YES.

CONGEDO: YEAH.

WHAT -- ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR MOMENTS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HOLD SPECIFICALLY AS YOU STEP OUT ONTO THAT STAGE IN MEETING WITH MONIQUE, OR IN UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT SORT OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE HUMAN BEINGS BEHIND THIS HISTORY?

I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT REALLY STUCK WITH YOU.

CARRASCO: I THINK BEYOND JUST ONE MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE THAT YOU SHARED WITH ME, I THINK WHAT I'LL TAKE ONTO STAGE WITH ME IS JUST THE FACT THAT YOU WERE GRACIOUS AND WILLING ENOUGH TO SIT WITH ME AND SHARE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW?

AS YOU SAID AND YOU'VE YOU'VE SHARED WITH ME THAT YOUR FAMILY DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH AT FIRST.

ROTHSCHILD: NOT AT ALL.

CARRASCO: NOT AT ALL.

AND YOU HAD TO LEARN A LOT OF THIS -- YOU HAD TO LEARN A LOT OF IT ON YOUR OWN SO THAT YOU CAN THEN SHARE IT.

AND SO JUST THE GRAVITY AND WHAT IT MEANS THAT YOU WERE WILLING TO SHARE WHAT YOU KNEW AND WHAT YOU HAD LEARNED WAS SO IMPORTANT TO ME.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'LL TAKE ONTO STAGE, NOT EVEN JUST A SINGLE MOMENT, BUT JUST THE FACT THAT SHE WAS WILLING TO SIT THERE AND SHARE, AND SHARE BEYOND YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH THE WAR.

YOU KNOW, YOU SHARED WHAT PHOTOGRAPHERS YOU LIKE AND WHAT PHOTOGRAPHERS YOU DIDN'T LIKE.

ROTHSCHILD: I TALK A LOT.

CARRASCO: AND JUST THAT, THAT OPENNESS, THAT GRACIOUSNESS IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO CARRY ONTO STAGE BECAUSE WE'RE PORTRAYING PEOPLE AND THAT WAS A VERY HUMAN MOMENT FOR HER TO SIT DOWN AND SHARE WITH ME.

CONGEDO: YEAH.

YEAH.

AND IT'S SO EMBLEMATIC, I THINK, OF, YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTY OF BEING ABLE TO WORK, I MEAN, AT THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMANITY CENTER, THIS IS OUR ROLE, RIGHT, IS TO LIFT UP THESE STORIES THAT ARE LOCAL STORIES.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE SURVIVED THIS, WHO'VE LIVED THIS HISTORY, WHOSE FAMILIES HAVE SURVIVED THIS, AND TO BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT CAN FEEL LIKE A VERY, UM, SORT OF HARD TO HOLD IN THE GRANDIOSITY OF IT.

RIGHT?

HISTORY THROUGH VERY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.

AND MONIQUE AND SO MANY OF OUR OTHER SURVIVORS, I THINK, JUST REALLY EXEMPLIFY THAT IDEA OF RESILIENCE AND GENEROSITY IN SHARING THEIR OWN HISTORY.

SO I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHILE WE STILL HAVE A FEW MINUTES LEFT, WHAT DO YOU EACH HOPE?

AND MONIQUE, I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T YET SEEN THE PIECE, SO MAYBE I'LL HAVE TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU AFTER YOU SEE IT.

BUT WHAT DO YOU EACH HOPE THAT PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EXPERIENCE OF WATCHING THIS BEAUTIFUL AND INCREDIBLY MOVING PIECE OF ART?

ROTHSCHILD: WELL, I HADN'T GIVEN THAT ANY THOUGHT YET, BUT FROM WHAT I HEARD FROM DAVID SPEAKING BEFORE, I HOPE THAT PEOPLE COME AWAY FEELING THAT THIS IS A HUMAN STORY.

IT'S -- WHEN HE CALLS IT OUR STORY, IT'S EVERYBODY'S STORY AND EVERYBODY HAS TO MAKE IT THEIR OWN SO THAT THEY CAN GROW AND AS HUMAN BEINGS.

CONGEDO: YEAH.

YEAH.

TAYLOR?

ROTHSCHILD: THAT'S WHAT ART DOES.

CONGEDO: IT IS, IN A WAY THAT WORDS REALLY CAN'T.

RIGHT?

YEAH.

TAYLOR, HOW ABOUT YOU?

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE FROM THIS?

CARRASCO: I THINK DAVID HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB AT CREATING A CALL TO ACTION.

AS A KID GROWING UP, I WAS EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST.

AND A LOT OF MY FOCUS WAS HOW DID THESE PEOPLE SURVIVE?

WHO DID SURVIVE, AND HOW DID THEY FIND THE RESILIENCE TO CONTINUE THEIR LIVES AFTERWARDS?

AND I WOULD REFLECT A LOT ON WHAT WOULD I HAVE DONE IF I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING THAT?

BUT I EXPERIENCED SOMETHING WHEN WE TOOK OUR TRIP TO THE HOLOCAUST CENTER WHERE THERE WAS A VIDEO OF A SURVIVOR SAYING, "IF YOU HAVE EVER REFLECTED ON WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE DONE, THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU SHOULD PUT YOUR ENERGY.

YOU SHOULD PUT YOUR ENERGY INTO THINKING OF WHAT YOU CAN BE DOING TODAY."

AND WHILE DAVID DOES PORTRAY THE BEAUTY OF PEOPLE'S LIVES BEFORE THE WAR AND THE TRAGEDY THAT THEY EXPERIENCED, IT ENDS SHOWING THE JOY OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO REBUILD AND A FOCUS ON EVEN TODAY, WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO.

AND SO I HOPE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM IT.

I HOPE THAT THEY LOOK FORWARD, NOT BACK, AND SAY, "WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR US ALL TO LIVE IN?"

CONGEDO: BEAUTIFUL.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NOTE TO END ON.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH, TAYLOR AND MONIQUE.

ROTHSCHILD: THANK YOU.

CONGEDO: FOR SHARING YOUR SHARED STORY WITH US.

AND I'M EXCITED AGAIN FOR AUDIENCES TO BE ABLE TO WITNESS THIS BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PIECE.

SO IF YOU NEED YOUR TICKETS, I'M GOING TO GIVE ANOTHER REMINDER MAY 1-4.

REALIZING NOW THAT THIS IS ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN YOUR PARENTS LEFT GERMANY MAY 1ST.

ROTHSCHILD: YES.

CONGEDO: MAY 1-4 AT THE ARONOFF.

AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE BALLET'S WEBSITE, CBALLET.ORG.

PLEASE COME SEE OUR STORY; YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY THAT YOU DID.

IT WILL CHANGE YOU.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.

CARRASCO: THANK YOU BOTH.

ROTHSCHILD: THANK YOU, JACKIE.

ANNOUNCER: JOIN US NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF SHOWCASE WITH BARBARA KELLAR RIGHT HERE ON CET.

CAPTIONS: MAVERICK CAPTIONING CIN OH MAVERICKCAPTIONING.COM