When Danceworks’ Artistic Director, Dani Kuepper came to me with the idea of founding Artistic Director, Sarah Wilbur returning to Danceworks to set a piece on 25 women, I thought, “Perfect! Danceworks is turning 25!” There ended up being 21 rather than 25 women in Sarah’s piece, but Danceworks Performance Company just celebrated its 21st birthday this past year—so that’s perfect, too. Things always have a way of working out around here.
So, Sarah and Dani are together again. There is a picture I have kept of the two of them in my mind. I’ll try to describe why it captured my imagination and has held my attention all these years.
It shows two people working together, supporting each other, sharing weight, creating, connecting—dancing together. They happen to be women but they could be anyone, of any gender, in any line of work. To me, this picture represents the perfect working relationship—professionally and personally.
Sarah performing with Danceworks Performance Company.
There’s a glow about the two of them. You have a sense that they are filled with contentment and joy, and are in sync. You’re not really sure where one begins and the other ends, and yet at the same time, you know for certain that they are two independent individuals. They are in good alignment. There is total trust.
Dance teaches us about trust, support, and alignment, but most importantly, dance gives us the opportunity daily to put it into practice. When we skip a beat, miss our mark, knock into someone, trip up or fall down, we get back up; we dust ourselves off and keep dancing, all the wiser for our mistakes. To dance is to speak, to sing, to soar—together.
The company rehearses new work “Pattern, Repattern, Unpattern, Repeat.”
There are many women like this in my life, including Sarah and Dani. For 19 years, we have been in a dance together—moving toward and away from each other, and back again as life leads us. Dance can mean many things. The goal is to dance boldly, with trust and support. Sarah’s blog on Danceworks 20th anniversary speaks volumes to this.
I’m so glad you are able to share in our dance as an organization—on tonight’s stage, in our studio and throughout our community. Thank you for the dance you are creating in your own life and for joining together with us. Thank you for supporting Danceworks as our dance continues on, and on.
Women Who Dance premieres Friday, March 2 and runs through Sunday, March 4. Get tickets, read artist biographies and see the variety of events happening at each performance here.
Welcome to the Danceworks blog, where we're hoping to share a little bit more about the heart and soul behind Danceworks… what made us join the dance and keeps us dancing, what keeps us inspired, and where we can share some of the stories worth telling.
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