Life as a Modern Dancer

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  • 2024 on the Blog, and Beyond

    From Blog Director Jill Randall:Thank you for another year engaging with and supporting Life as a Modern Dancer. At the time of publication of this piece, there are 1,526 pieces on the site! Today I wanted to spotlight a few articles and projects from the year. Aviva Rose-Williams and Molly Rose-Williams in Game Time. Photo…

  • Soft Skills & Essential Understandings for a Life and Career as a Modern Dancer

    Photo of the author. Photo credit: Tony Nguyen. Soft Skills & Essential Understandings for a Life and Career as a Modern Dancer By Jill Randall I always love a list – for reflection, for inspiration, or for finding resources.  To that end, I have been sketching out this list of 33 ideas over the past…

  • In Defense of “Under Rehearsed”

    In Defense of “Under Rehearsed”By Jeanne Pfeffer Recently I attended a dance performance in the Bay Area that was critically reviewed in the local paper as “under rehearsed.” This is not the first, nor frankly, the last time we read such critique of dance performances in the Bay Area and otherwise. And it continues to…

  • Kimiko Guthrie, Claudine Naganuma, and SanSan Kwan in Conversation

    Photos Credits: Two Doors by Robbie Sweeny | Unbound by Matt Haber By Kimiko Guthrie Last week, I was thrilled to sit down in person with artists Claudine Naganuma and SanSan Kwan to discuss their upcoming project, Threshold. Our conversation explored a wide range of topics, from re-examining the Asian American trope of passivity to…

  • Preseason Play-By-Play: “Game Time” In Process

    Aviva Rose-Williams and Molly Rose-Williams. Photo by Ezra Weill. Preseason Play-By-Play: “Game Time” In Process  By Molly Rose-Williams When it comes to making shows, my sister and I are on the same page in lots of ways. (Yes, physical effort and slapstick humor! No, pulling audience members onstage! Sometimes words! Aspirationally props!) Of course, when…

  • Coming Together and Connecting: “Study Hall” with Emily Hansel and Collaborators

    By Jill Randall Study Hall. Photo by Natalia Perez. Image Description: Three dancers, wearing blues, oranges, and pinks, are caught walking in different directions. A mirror effect on the image causes blurry, duplicate images of their bodies.   Coming Together and Connecting: Study Hall with Emily Hansel and CollaboratorsBy Jill Randall   Introduction I am…

  • 5 Questions for Abby Crain about the KH FRESH Festival

    This year is the 15th year for the KH FRESH Festival. It is an incredible feat to keep a project going and thriving over the years. Check out the full list of its exciting offerings here. This week I got to talk with Abby Crain, a longtime festival team member since 2011. She works on…

  • Five Questions for Molly Rose-Williams about “CRUSH”

    Molly Rose-Williams. Photo credit: Molly Laurano. This week, I got to catch up with Molly Rose-Williams as she prepares for her latest solo show, CRUSH, in the San Francisco Bay Area. CRUSH runs for 6 performances: Jan 19-21 & 25-27. Tickets are selling fast, so grab yours here (NOTA). ———— What are 5 words or…

  • On the Blog and Beyond, in 2023

    MoToR/Dance performs "Water in the Kettle." Photo by Dean Bosche.Review+Response: 7 Performances in the SF Bay Area in 2023 From Blog Director Jill Randall:Thank you for another wonderful year on Life as a Modern Dancer. As the year comes to a close, I always enjoy looking back over the months and highlighting a few of…

  • Conflict Resolution Within the Context of Dance: Resource Guide (updated November 2025)

    Conflict Resolution Within the Context of Dance: Resource Guide By Jill Randall Throughout the past 4 years, professionally and personally, I have wanted to learn more about conflict resolution. This also relates to the ideas of mediation, transformative justice, and repair.  What does this look like within an arts organization? A dance company? A project-based…