IN THE KNOW SERIES

volume 4

It is with great excitement that we welcome the iconic and singular Pam Tanowitz to our SFDanceworks family. We have the honor of being the first company in the Bay Area to present Pam’s work, and I hope you will enjoy getting to know her work as much as I have!

Gustave Le Gray No. 1 boasts gorgeous red billowy costume designs by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung, and an arresting single piano score by Pulitzer winning composer Caroline Shaw. This summer the work will be performed live by Bay Area pianist Danny Sullivan.

Click the link below to join us for an intimate conversation with costume designer, Reid Bartelme, (of Reid and Harriet) who shares insights into his and Harriet Jung’s designs for Gustave Le Gray No. 1, his collaborations with Pam, and observations into who she is as a dance maker.

volume 5

We are so pleased to take a closer look at one of SFDW’s MVPs. Laura O’Malley has been a force with SFDW since 2016. First as a dancer, then as co-director, and currently as choreographer. Laura will be creating her third work for the company this year, working with composer Alton Allen, who you may recall composed the music for Dani Rowe’s The Old Child back in 2017. Super excited to have Alton back with us! Not to mention lighting designer, Jim French and costume designer Lauren Starobin.

We are so in awe of the worlds Laura creates, her unique perspective and introspective nature guarantee Laura is on the precipice of a fruitful and prolific career.

volume 6

We are beyond excited to present the modern dance classic Danzas Mexicanas by José Limón which deepens our connection and reverence for masterworks. Working with the Limón Dance Company, we secured an excerpt comprising two solos which will be performed by a wonderful dancer (and Artistic Director Dana Genshaft’s former student), current Limón Company member MJ Edwards, accompanied by a piano score by American composer, Lionel Nowak.

The work, which is José’s response to his Mexican heritage, premiered in 1939 at Mills College in Oakland, which makes this feel like a homecoming of sorts. In celebration of the Limón Dance Company’s 75th anniversary season, the partially lost early work was thoughtfully reconstructed from video fragments, photos, and José’s diaries in 2022. With its West Coast premiere, SFDanceworks is the first company to perform these solos outside the Limón Dance Company, an enormous honor, indeed.

volume 7

For this installation of IN THE KNOW, we are honored to take a closer look at Alexander Anderson while in process with artists Nicholas Korkos and Benjamin Freemantle. Alex is creating a duet for two artists who need no introduction. Nick has been a longtime SFDW collaborator who we are thrilled is returning this season and Benjamin, a former SF Ballet principal dancer, is joining SFDW for the first time.

We are proud to share the above video featuring Alex, Nicholas, and Benjamin in process, hopefully giving you a small window into the work we are so eager to share with you later this month! This video was beautifully shot by Melissa Wu of Eight Two Eight Media.

volume 8

We are thrilled to bring you a closer look into an artist we have been anxious to bring to SFDW for several years. Delayed by the pandemic, we are over the moon to be able to bring Bryan Arias and a world premiere to Season 6.

Bryan is an established dance maker and artist based in Europe that we know our audiences will probably not have had the opportunity to view live, but will love his work as much as we do. His work has been likened to the films of Wes Anderson, The Boston Globe said;

"Arias’s approach is similar to the magic mixture in Wes Anderson’s films: The silliness is graced by sincerity, and the poignancy glows with humanity.”

Who couldn’t use a bit of that in their lives? We know we sure can. Bryan is a kind and open individual who is not only making incredible work but believes in fostering the next generation of artists. We can’t wait to see what he and his dancers have created.

volume 9

Coming soon!