One Good Quote: “The Healer” with RAWdance (online January 29-30, 2021)

Katerina Wong (left) and Stacey Yuen (right)

In Fall 2017, Life as a Modern Dancer launched a new concept for post-performance discussion and writing. The goals are multi-fold:

What are new ways to invite post-performance writing (since so few publications now print dance reviews, and there are fewer and fewer dance critics in the United States)?
How can choreographers hear and read more from audience members about their impressions and experiences of dance events?
Can we offer new mechanisms for choreographers to gather language about their work, to further their work and to promote their work?

The premise is simple. If you experienced The Healer with RAWdance Jan 29-30, 2021, please take a few minutes to leave a comment. Write down images, impressions, appreciations, and questions from the performance. These can be words, phrases, or a few sentences.

We thank you for your time, support, and thoughtfulness. Here's to more dialogue, more reflection, and more writing on the dance performance experience. As choreographer Mariah Steele noted, we are "democratizing dance criticism."

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11 responses to “One Good Quote: “The Healer” with RAWdance (online January 29-30, 2021)”

Jill Randall

Jan 30, 2021 at 1:31 pm

reaching, circling
head dive
spiral down
feeling
sensing

releasing

I really enjoyed seeing The Healer Friday night from home.
Thank you RAWdance and collaborators.
Thank you for holding onto the integrity for the vision of the work – complete with costumes, set, original score, and lighting design – all in the beautiful ODC Theater. The videotaping of the performance was wonderful, and I loved the close up moments especially.
Watching The Healer, nearly a year into the pandemic, brought new meaning to “unison movement.” Last night I experienced unison as coming together – at the same time, in the same place. Common actions, common embodiment. Feeling together; being together.
I appreciated all of the choreography, but wanted to note Michaela Cruze’s solo in particular. There was a vulnerability with this solo being performed in close proximity to the other 3 cast members. It amplified the idea of “witnessing others’ experiences.” I loved feeling Cruze’s sense of joy and elation within this solo phrase.
I made a few notes while watching last night, including:
calm elegance
confidence
flow
presence
Thank you RAWdance for the strong performance and reminding me of the healing power of the body, of movement, of creativity, and of sharing experiences together, whether in person or virtually.

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Alex McClure

Jan 30, 2021 at 5:55 pm

Beautiful
Gorgeous, exquisite dancing
Calming and healing feeling
Gorgeous lighting and set
Lovely colors
Sensory elements made me feel included in the experience and in the space.
Beautifully filmed
I so appreciated seeing dance in the theater not just in people’s homes
Might have liked more close-up shots as those would have made me feel more like I was really in the room with you all.
Well done. Loved it!

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Janine Cazares

Jan 31, 2021 at 10:33 am

It just flowed. I felt uplifted after the experience which I didn’t expect from an online performance. I wish I had participated in the sensory experience with the suggested items but I bought my ticket at the last minute so didn’t see that. What a unique idea-to make the experience not just for the eyes but for the other senses as well.

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Pamela Kramer

Jan 31, 2021 at 2:34 pm

A visceral experience.
Felt connected to the dancers and their energy and power.
So prescient that this was conceived in 2019 for an early 2021 audience.
Beautiful, fresh work that transcends cultures and screens, creating the kind of human, artistic experience we are all pining for.

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Brittany

Jan 31, 2021 at 9:58 pm

Integrated, well-crafted audience participation opportunity with mailed sensory package, and/or suggested sensory elements.
A thoughtful, conscientious, generous sharing of the presentation and digital platform with opening context of how the work came to be, a special guest introduction and grounding, and post-screening facilitated dialogue and closing.
Many sincere touchpoints to be welcomed in to the creativity and research inquiry.
trust.
ensemble interconnectedness, from fingertip to nose tip.
quick changes of direction.
nimble spines.

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Julie

Feb 1, 2021 at 5:03 pm

Connected, joy, ritual, surrender, resistance, breath, relief.
A reminder to appreciate each moment and to activate all the senses to experience life fully.
Investigating how energy flows through the body, the air, the floor, between people.

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Amy Miller

Feb 3, 2021 at 4:46 am

The Healer reminded me to take a intentional breath, drink some nourishing tea, shake my body to enliven from within and search for more ways to ‘move’ within myself and alongside others now as always. The epic and hard-won work of ‘choreographing’ the logistics of a bubble residency experience in a pandemic radiated off this performance at every moment. The gratefulness to be dancing in space with one another alongside an exquisite score, organic set + costumes and support from somatic healers throughout was palpable in the space. Kudos to the visionary Katie Wong and to all for valuing process and simultaneously offering a tangible experience that welcomed each of us to join in on the ongoing reveal of being ourselves….. with each other …..in a big, big beautifully complex world.

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Mallory Markham

Feb 3, 2021 at 2:27 pm

Remembering, resilience, care, community, offering relief and healing.
I’ve been processing this work since Saturday and am so deeply touched by The Healer. The piece brought up so many memories of family, of dancing in a big space, of moving and partnering with friends. I found the movement language and concept to be deeply rich and, of course, the dancing was absolutely brilliant. The whole evening felt personal and gave me a sense of home.

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Jhia Jackson

Feb 3, 2021 at 4:34 pm

Real world + dream world
Everyday + special occasion
Small bits of magic
Satisfaction
Time for details
Unique contributions of specific individuals
Not surprised but still amazed at Katie’s capacity
Family family family
Enduring relationships

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Jennifer Perfilio

Feb 4, 2021 at 10:05 pm

I appreciated the journey we were offered… to be brought into the process, the history of the realization of this work, the deification by the collaborators to quarantine and work together in person, the healer that inspired the work (Katie’s aunt), the addition of the pre-show speaker, and the culminating dance, which completed the evenings’ journey with such generosity… the dancers moving both with tenderness and strength. I was moved to feel the power of women healers, and the power of dedicated artists.

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WILL WOODWARD

Feb 5, 2021 at 11:43 am

Ohana
Healing
Connection
Energy
Breath
I had the awesome opportunity of seeing excerpts of The Healer performed in SF and NYC, before the pandemic. I’ve been waiting for this premiere for over a year, and what a treat! Not only was the dancing sublime, I could also see the work that went into the production, transforming it for a digital platform. Truly inspired. Congratulations to Katie and the entire RAWdance family for an amazing showing.

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