One Good Quote: SHOUT IN THE DARK with Deborah Slater Dance Theater

July 20, 2026

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Deborah Slater Dance Theater. Photo by Robbie Sweeny.

Back in Fall 2017, Life as a Modern Dancer launched One Good Quote 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 8 years later, still offers a valuable platform for artists and audience members alike. If you experienced the live performance of SHOUT IN THE DARK: A Guide to Hope & Good Grief with Deborah Slater Dance Theater, July 18-19, 2026 at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley, 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.”

5 responses to “One Good Quote: SHOUT IN THE DARK with Deborah Slater Dance Theater”

Stephanie Ann Sherman

Jul 22, 2026 at 10:29 pm

This piece was one of the best performances I have seen in a long time. It was maturely composed, deeply felt, and performed by an exceptional cast of generous-hearted, phenomenally talented performers. It reflected a deep and thoughtful process. It did what so much contemporary dance seems to lack: it leaned into the simplicity of human connection, feeling, and gesture without the need for bells and whistles, astonishing stage sets, frantic movement, or tricks. These dancers could have done anything with their bodies, but their virtuosity was expressed through their humble presence with one another and their commitment to the meaning of the movement. This is a testament to Slater’s mastery as a choreographer.

I was deeply moved by Slater’s ability to make me feel something real as an audience member. I was equally struck by the care and respect her work showed for each dancer. She created a space in which they could truly be seen, without artifice or hierarchy, and in the fullness of their humanity. The work’s simplicity is not a lack of ambition; it is the result of an extraordinary level of clarity, trust, and craft.

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1. Deborah
  
  Jul 23, 2026 at 6:30 pm
  
  Beautiful writing thank you. This piece was made by these dancers from their own experiences and i was just plain honored to be in their presence…
  
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Dana Lee Lawton

Jul 23, 2026 at 4:26 pm

A stunning evening of dance – bringing hope to the surface through touch, explosive movement and releasing into one another.

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1. Deborah
  
  Jul 23, 2026 at 6:28 pm
  
  Thank you so much! Looking forward to a longer conversation;)
  
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vgutwirth

Jul 24, 2026 at 1:37 pm

The structure and collaborative, compassionate ethos of this work enabled me to see the dancers (many of whom I’ve watched for years in various companies) in new and more complete ways. Rather than DOING the dance, they were BEING the work, through their bodies, yes, but also through the way they looked, listened, responded, and felt throughout the piece. Maintaining that being-stance is an extraordinary challenge, adnd they all met it fully, without strain, artifice, or performativity. I left feeling cleared, awed, grateful.

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