the CONCEPT series: 20

83 artists in, the CONCEPT series turns 10! In keeping with the salon’s intimate feel, to celebrate its anniversary, RAWdance’s Artistic Directors have invited artists who are all a part of their own San Francisco dance history. What better way to celebrate than to share the stage – or more accurately, the ballroom ­– with fellow artists from their artistic pasts and presents?

For CONCEPT series: 20, RAWdance will be joined by five guest artists. The MargaretJenkins Dance Company, with whom Smith danced for a total of 11 years, will share early workings of a new project Never Separate, set to premiere at the Atrium Theatre in October. Nancy Karp +Dancers, one of the first companies Rein worked with after moving to San Francisco, will test out excerpts from their recent premiere MEMORY/PLACE. Both Smith and Rein worked with choreographer Alma Esperanza Cunningham over ten years ago. For CONCEPT series: 20, they are excited to have her share her current work, which reframes and transforms how we experience the female body in performance.

The weekend also marks the return of two previous salon guest artists. Nol Simonse, a familiar face in the Bay Area contemporary dance scene, was part of the very first CONCEPT series. He returns in 2017 to test out his latest musings fresh from the studio. Holly Johnston, of CONCEPT series: 7, shared a 2007 House Special residency at ODC Theater with RAWdance. She was also one of the contributing artists to RAWdance’s 2016 epic duet Double Exposure. Asserting her manifesto, Holly shares: “Affirming our rights to be free bodies, we dance as a statement of defiance against dehumanization.”

RAWdance rounds out the program with a sneak preview of their own new work, including an early study for Requiem, premiering this summer as part of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.

Pay-What-You-Can
Coffee, cupcakes, popcorn, and other snacks served
No advanced ticket sales
Read more about the series

Margo Moritz