One Good Quote: MoToRING ON

Seven dancers in white costumes pose in a street in San Francisco during the daytime.

MoToR/dance. Photo by Kevin Adams.

Back in Fall 2017, Life as a Modern Dancer launched a new concept for post-performance discussion and writing. The goals were 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, and 7 years later, still offers a valuable platform for artists and audience members alike. If you experienced the live performance of MoTORING ON with MoToR/dance, Corposonic Trio, and the Westlake Tap Division on Saturday, February 1 at Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center, 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."

6 responses to “One Good Quote: MoToRING ON”

Jill Randall

Feb 3, 2025 at 9:10 pm

I was so happy to be at the 8pm show. What a wonderful antidote for our time – a full evening unplugged, embracing the body and voice.
The set list had a beautiful arc to it, smoothly transitioning between the 3 groups. There was joy, humor, and contemplation. Multiple generations shared the stage over the course of the evening.
What lingers days later is that experience on a rainy night during a very tough political moment. We gathered, we shared; the artists were generous, open, and present.
We come back to the body, believe in the body.
The artists had power and agency and grace; may that fuel our future days.

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Rica Anderson

Feb 4, 2025 at 3:29 pm

I didn’t realize how much I needed to experience last Saturday’s MoToRING ON performance, but it truly fed my soul. The dancers/singers were captivating and expressive, and the whole event felt like a celebration.
I was delighted by Evie’s “3rd place song” and in awe of Crosspulse’s skills and amazing lead singer. I cried cathartic tears as the artists brought beautiful spirituals to life, mixing evocative movement with stirring harmonies, and I felt pride for the young dancers who performed so joyfully.
These artists reminded me how much we need art and community, especially during dark times. I left the performance feeling inspired, reinvigorated, and deeply grateful to all who participated. Thank you, and please perform again soon. We need you now more than ever!

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Rachel Gorham

Feb 5, 2025 at 12:16 pm

Beautiful performance! I was impressed by all the different groups who performed, loved that youth were brought into the mix and appreciated all the collaboration. It was inspired, inspiring, and memorable. Loved it!

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Joan Bell

Feb 5, 2025 at 5:33 pm

I am delighted that I was able to see MoToRING ON Saturday night at 8. What a treat! It was a wonderful combination of voice and movement.
One particular highlight for me was Veotis Lachison’s singing.
I love that Evie has brought together beautiful, talented women of varied ages and looks. Their movement and singing touched my heart. Having the young people dance added range and some whimsy. It was impressive to see them work so well with the fabulously cool tunes from Corposonic.
All together it was an extremely enjoyable way to support some superbly talented local artists.

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LoRee Kenagy

Feb 5, 2025 at 9:06 pm

MoToRING ON was an uplifting experience from start to finish. Be it the balance of precision and style of the Corposonic Trio, the poignant and harmonic movement-messages of MoToR/dance or the youthful and determined patterings of the Westlake Tap Division, not a single act could be isolated from the show. All of the offerings were individually unique, while delivering to the message of the performance overall. A message of unity during a time of division, of the joy we create within ourselves and then share with others, and of the most salient result of dancing and live music — connection. So grateful to witness this wonderful event.

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Isabel

Mar 31, 2025 at 5:43 pm

This show is transformative. You can feel the energy and emotions that are created within the space. I felt very blessed to have watched the dancers, singers and musicians bring to life the feeling of inspiration and beauty.

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