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David Roussève: Defying Death, Learning To Embrace Life
David Roussève has been HIV positive since 1992, nursed back from the brink of death by his husband Connor, and survived losing that same husband to suicide in 2021 after twenty-six years together. At sixty-five, he's creating his first full-length solo performance in over twenty years, navigating Grindr and OkCupid for the first time, and asking the hardest questions about what it means to fully embrace life when you've spent decades defying death.
In this conversation, David shares how a hashtag thirst trap on Instagram became the title of his new show Becoming Daddy AF, why he'd never trade his sixty-five-year-old wisdom for his twenty-five-year-old dancing ability, and what happened when he tried to relearn choreography from thirty-five years ago. He talks about growing up with a grandmother who worked as a domestic, how Princeton showed him theater could create social change, and why depth matters more than tricks when you're redefining virtuosity for an aging body.
This is about grief, love that endures beyond death, and discovering that roller coaster lives can still surprise you.
What We Talk About:
- Being HIV positive since 1992 and the paradox of defying death while struggling to embrace life
- Losing his husband Connor to suicide in 2021 and how grief transformed his understanding of love
- Creating Becoming Daddy AF at sixty-five, his first full-length solo in over twenty years
- Navigating dating apps (Grindr and OkCupid) for the first time after a twenty-six-year monogamous relationship
- How a hashtag thirst trap on Instagram became a show title
- Redefining virtuosity for an older body: choosing depth over technical tricks
- Why community engagement beyond dance audiences sustains his work
About David Roussève:
David is a Guggenheim Fellow, distinguished professor at UCLA, and the creative force behind David Roussève/REALITY, a company combining movement, words, and visual imagery into powerful storytelling since 1988. As a gay Black choreographer, writer, and filmmaker, his work addresses AIDS, racism, homophobia, love, and loss. His performances have been presented at venues including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jacob's Pillow, and internationally. He lives in Los Angeles.
Connect with David:
Website: DavidRousseve.com
Instagram: @DavidRousseve
Facebook: David Roussève
Resources Mentioned:
- Becoming Daddy AF (new solo performance)
- David Roussève/REALITY (dance company)
- Brooklyn Academy of Music
- Princeton University
- ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power)
- The Alley Theatre (Houston)
Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com
Instagram: @thenewmaturity
Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com
Email: [email protected]
New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.
View all episodes
By Heath BrockwellDavid Roussève has been HIV positive since 1992, nursed back from the brink of death by his husband Connor, and survived losing that same husband to suicide in 2021 after twenty-six years together. At sixty-five, he's creating his first full-length solo performance in over twenty years, navigating Grindr and OkCupid for the first time, and asking the hardest questions about what it means to fully embrace life when you've spent decades defying death.
In this conversation, David shares how a hashtag thirst trap on Instagram became the title of his new show Becoming Daddy AF, why he'd never trade his sixty-five-year-old wisdom for his twenty-five-year-old dancing ability, and what happened when he tried to relearn choreography from thirty-five years ago. He talks about growing up with a grandmother who worked as a domestic, how Princeton showed him theater could create social change, and why depth matters more than tricks when you're redefining virtuosity for an aging body.
This is about grief, love that endures beyond death, and discovering that roller coaster lives can still surprise you.
What We Talk About:
- Being HIV positive since 1992 and the paradox of defying death while struggling to embrace life
- Losing his husband Connor to suicide in 2021 and how grief transformed his understanding of love
- Creating Becoming Daddy AF at sixty-five, his first full-length solo in over twenty years
- Navigating dating apps (Grindr and OkCupid) for the first time after a twenty-six-year monogamous relationship
- How a hashtag thirst trap on Instagram became a show title
- Redefining virtuosity for an older body: choosing depth over technical tricks
- Why community engagement beyond dance audiences sustains his work
About David Roussève:
David is a Guggenheim Fellow, distinguished professor at UCLA, and the creative force behind David Roussève/REALITY, a company combining movement, words, and visual imagery into powerful storytelling since 1988. As a gay Black choreographer, writer, and filmmaker, his work addresses AIDS, racism, homophobia, love, and loss. His performances have been presented at venues including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jacob's Pillow, and internationally. He lives in Los Angeles.
Connect with David:
Website: DavidRousseve.com
Instagram: @DavidRousseve
Facebook: David Roussève
Resources Mentioned:
- Becoming Daddy AF (new solo performance)
- David Roussève/REALITY (dance company)
- Brooklyn Academy of Music
- Princeton University
- ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power)
- The Alley Theatre (Houston)
Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com
Instagram: @thenewmaturity
Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com
Email: [email protected]
New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.