"The Fatherhood Project grew from reflections about the apparently disconnected aspects of my identity –a male dancer, who pursued a dance career in contemporary dance, and a father of two boys,” explains Popalisky. “I wondered if non-dancer dads might not enjoy some of the affirmative and liberating aspects of dance that I find so essential in my own life.”

These sentiments originally spurred Popalisky to create the “Dads Don’t Dance (or do they?)” workshop that investigated the line between dance as a fresh vehicle for better understanding fatherhood, and fatherhood framed as dance.  This group of non-dancing dads that included a geologist, a physics professor, a computer engineer, a graphic artist, and a high school teacher (all of whom perform in The Fatherhood Project) met weekly over several summers to participate in movement exercises, reflect on the current conceptions and expectations of fatherhood, and share their insights with one another.  When the group expressed the wish to build a simple dance to share with their families and friends Popalisky obliged. Once this decision had been made it drove the rest of the summer as the fathers became very invested in learning and improving the quality of their dancing. After the informal performance at summer's end a tongue in cheek audience questionaire asked, " Do you think we are ready to go on the road?"  Several teenagers present offered these helpful comments, “Yes but just to Togo’s” – the eatery across the street and “Yeah, hit the road and go away."

Popalisky's research on fatherhood and dance including the Dads Don't Dance workshops was presented at the American Culture Association and Popular Culture Association convention in New Orleans, April 2003.

Despite these early reviews the dads were enthusiastic to do a real performance down the road. Popalisky began to work to create an entire performance that explores the identity of fatherhood in greater complexity.  Using extensive interviews with a diverse group of fathers, sons, and daughters, he examined the multiplicity and commonality of the father-child relationship – uncovering how dads move through this role and dance their dynamic interactions with children.

In the winter of 2006 Popalisky began to conceptualize the work with his principle collaborators. Popalisky met weekly with composer True Rosaschi in Borders Bookstore in San Mateo as a convenient mid-point between their homes in San Francisco and San Jose. Popalisky also travelled to Santa Cruz to continue his juggling training with Rock Lerum followed by discussions of the unfolding work and how the metaphor of juggling would manifest in the actual work. Rehearsals with the cast began in May 2006 and continued throughout the summer with excitement building (and fear) as the premiere for the novice perormers. The ambiance between the middle aged dads and the college aged youth dancers began to emulate the actual dynamics of a real family.

Following the premier at Santa Clara University two excerpts of the show were performed at Stanford University at their "Bring It All Back Home" fall dance concert on November 4, 2006. In November as well the opportunity to bring the work to the Marin Showcase Theatre emerged with the enthusiastic co-sponsership of the Bay Area Male Involvement Network (BAMIN) whose Director, Ray Capper saw the premiere performance.

Read the preview article Dads do dance in 'The Fatherhood Project' by Heather Zimmerman " published in Silicon Valley Community Newspapers.