Life as a Modern Dancer

Category: Uncategorized

  • Five Questions for Tether Dance Project

    By Jill Randall The other day I got to catch up with Tether Dance Project co-directors Teo Lin-Bianco, Tatianna Steiner, and Ella Wright. Tether is an exciting, new nonprofit dance organization in the SF Bay Area. Tether’s work explores community building, mutual artist support, workshops, and performances. Catch Flux & Form November 14-16 at the…

  • Native Complex Patterns Sing Out Bach’s Naive Truth: a reflection by Chaz Hill with a little help from friend, performer & choreographer Yukie Shiroma*

    I was so happy to be in the audience for the Sunday performance of Pei-Ling Kao’s naive. The cast and choreography were all so inviting and welcoming and I was thrilled by what unfolded, opening my eyes to an innovative new experience of the same show. I saw naive first on Friday and two days…

  • “Naive,” an Instinct

    By Anneliese Wirsching Naive starts with Pei-Ling Kao uttering a simple “let’s begin,” spoken simply to Kahana Ho, the lighting board operator. As the music begins, Kao drops her notebook from hand, triggering a series of unbound primal movements. It was as if her body was moving in accordance with its most intuitive desires. Following…

  • Hello World!

    I just moved all of the content from my Typepad site to Word Press. Thank you for your patience over the next few weeks.

  • Monsoon Dance Company Presents “Finding my ‘Dha’” at ODC Theater

    Karishma Sharma. Photos by David Gaylord (left) and Lydia Daniller (right). Monsoon Dance Company Presents Finding my 'Dha' at ODC Theater By Veronica Silk The first time I took a choreography class with Karishma Sharma in 2023, I was utterly mesmerized by her movement choices. The way she transitioned so seamlessly from Kathak to contemporary…

  • Reflections on “Heart String” by Ciarra D’Onofrio

    Ciarra D'Onofrio in "Heart String." Photo by Bruce Patt. Reflections on "Heart String" by Ciarra D'Onofrio By Molly Rose-Williams Three days after watching Heart String, a few images still swim in my mind: Kriss Rulifson caressing a shatteringly bright spotlight with their bare arms, moving around the light’s rounded edge as their body begins to…

  • Crossing the Threshold: SanSan Kwan’s “Two Doors” at Dance Mission this April

    Photo by Robbie Sweeny Crossing the Threshold: SanSan Kwan’s Two Doors at Dance Mission this April By Megan Lowe SanSan Kwan is a pillar of the San Francisco Bay Area dance community, especially when it comes to uplifting the embodied experiences of Asian Americans through movement. I’ve known SanSan for more than a decade—as a…

  • “Super Nothing” Is Super, Nothing

    "Super Nothing" by Miguel Gutierrez. Photo by Maria Baranova, courtesy of New York Live Arts. “Super Nothing” Is Super, Nothing By Garth Grimball Titles and endings are notoriously difficult to produce. How to articulate in a word or phrase the concepts in a work? How to wrap up all the preceding ideas into a satisfying…

  • Robert Moses’ KIN 30th Anniversary Season: A Conversation with Choreographer Nol Simonse

    Robert Moses' KIN in rehearsal for the 30th anniversary season. Photo by Steve Disenhof. Robert Moses’ KIN 30th Anniversary Season: A Conversation with Choreographer Nol SimonseBy Garth Grimball If you’ve attended a dance class or performance in the past 30 years and heard a gentle welcome of “Hi, honey,” you’ve likely met Nol Simonse. Simonse…

  • More Than Just a Shadow: Megan Lowe Dances at ODC This April

    Megan Lowe Dances in "Just a Shadow." Megan Lowe, AJ Gardner, Frances Teves Sedayao, and Josh Icban. Photo by Vita Hewitt. More Than Just a Shadow: Megan Lowe Dances at ODC This April By SanSan Kwan As a longtime fan of Megan Lowe Dances and as someone who has experienced the death of a beloved,…