Video description for trailer: Anna Greenberg Gold is laying down with the color of the room changing around them. Macio Payomo is moving through a white room. Shareen DeRyan is moving through a forest as well as dancing with a sculptural costume design.
Dreams of Friday: Kristin Damrow & Company Premiers "Medium" on November 5th in San Francisco
By Jill Randall
This week, I got to catch up with choreographer Kristin Damrow and two of the collaborators for Medium, Allegra Bautista and Shareen DeRyan. Read on to gain a window into the work. There is a sense of excitement and hope as we imagine gathering, sharing, and experiencing live performances more and more this November and December.
Check out Medium in person in San Francisco on Friday, November 5th at 7:30pm and 9pm. Tickets are available here.
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Please describe the creation process and timeline of Medium for us. What was most exciting? Challenging?
Kristin: The creation process for Medium has been extremely condensed. We usually have over a year to make a show, and we packed it into a short 3 months. As hectic as it all feels, it's also super thrilling to see it all come together so quickly. It really asks artistically, and from a production side, to make choices and trust my first impulse. Also coming together as a company again to create work has been so fulfilling. Over the pandemic we have focused on solo projects and creating dance films. To feel the vibe of a whole group moving together, creating together, and supporting one another is powerful.
Allegra: I was so excited to enter the studio and see familiar and new faces during the process of Medium. Working with Kristin and all the other dancers has enlivened a spark of joy and a sense of gratitude. Dancing and working with this group of dancers has been so special.
How many times have you personally performed for a live audience since March 2020?
Allegra: Since March 2020, I have been fortunate to have performed multiple times for a live audience. My first live performance was in May 2021 for KDC in Palo Alto. Since then, I have performed outdoors at Yerba Buena Gardens, de Young Museum, Presidio Theatre, and in Healdsburg and indoors for the SFIAF (San Francisco International Arts Festival).
Shareen: In April and May I was a part of Jennifer Perfilo’s interdisciplinary work. 6 weeks 6 shows at Golden Gate Park. Each show was a different collaboration between 3 dancers and either a scriber, videographer, photographer, or sketch artist. I also performed in October with Christy Funsch’s 12 hour dance experience show, EPOCH, which was live and virtual.
There was an exhibit at the Berkeley Art Museum years ago titled "The Dream of the Audience." That phrase has stuck with me for many years. What is your "dream of the audience" for November 5th?
Allegra: Whatever a person is going through that day or week, they are invited to be present, connect, allow for the imagination to soak in what we are offering.
Shareen: I implore the audience to feel inquisitive about art making…What is your artistry? How do you continue to support your art and other art makers around you?
Share a bit about the Firehouse at Fort Mason. What drew you into this particular space/place?
Kristin: Finding a venue for Medium, there are a lot of factors at play. We needed a space that was flexible to have a film premiere as well as space to have a live piece performed. We also had to really take into consideration safety during Covid and to make sure the facilities were equipped with ventilation and allow small audiences to still feel like they were seeing a show. Firehouse also offers a wonderful layout, where we can split the audience into groups to allow the two elements of the show (film premieres and live performance) to happen simultaneously and then rotate and reset in an efficient way. Not to mention the location is beautiful, being right on the Bay.
Why live art, now?
Kristin: Navigating what it means to have a performance during Covid is new territory for all artists. It feels like we're coming out of hibernation and also asking audiences to do the same. The audience always plays a role in a performance. How they hold the space. How they hold the energy in the room. It's also the variable in the creation process that we can never anticipate how it will feel until it's in the moment.
Shareen: COVID put its stamp on the world, and the means of expression, creativity and exploration feel crucial for maintaining one's sanity.
Allegra: One of the most common comments I have been receiving after a live performance is how much the audience has missed watching live dance. I am so grateful to be able to connect, listen, share and make the audience remember why live dance and art is so important. There is a deeper meaning when able to connect in person.
Image description: Behind the scenes of the filming of "Silo." Dancer Shareen DeRyan stands within an abandoned concrete structure. In front of her is a camera capturing the moment and the cinematographer, Nate Gold.
Allegra Bautista (she/her) is a San Francisco native and graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California. She is honored to have performed in the works of Garrett+ Moulton Productions, Amy Seiwert, RAWdance, Tanya Bello's Project b, Natasha Adorlee's Concept o4, and ka·nei·see | collective. Allegra currently dances with Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. She is a certified yoga instructor.
Kristin Damrow (she/her) is a San Francisco-based contemporary choreographer and dance educator. She received her B.A. in Dance from Columbia College Chicago then founded Kristin Damrow & Company (KDC) in 2010 after moving to the Bay Area. KDC’s work has been nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award and has been commissioned by FOG Design + Art, Airbnb Design, Oakland Museum of California, Plat du Jour Project, Lindenwood University, and Iowa State University. KDC has been featured in Dance Magazine, Fast Company, Backstage Magazine, KQED Arts, and SF/Arts Monthly. Damrow is a faculty member at ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco and she has taught master classes at NYU Tisch School of the Arts (NY), Columbia College (Chicago), Gibney Dance (NYC), and Mark Morris Dance Center (NYC).
Shareen DeRyan (she/her) is a San Francisco Bay Area based dancer and trained at Lines Ballet. She has performed in works by Christian Burns, Robert Moses, Christy Funsch, Alivia Schaffer, Karla Quintero, Mark Foehringer, Kinetech Arts, RAWdance, Mud Water Theatre, Bellwether Dance Project, Fullstop Dance and more. Currently Shareen is in her third year of dancing for Kristin Damrow & Company and Jennifer Perfilio Movement Works.
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