Gaucho Reunion: Hybrid Program featuring live performances and dance films by current students and alumni Curator/Artistic Director Brandon Whited June 19, 2021 Center Stage Theater Director’s Note It is with great joy and pleasure that we welcome you back to the theater. It goes without saying that this has been an incredi- bly challenging year. While many industries have been effected by the pandemic in significant ways, the performing arts—and dance in particular—have endured devastating economic and structural ramifi- cations. COVID’s impact on the arts has been widely un-addressed at the governmental level and it is due to the unshakeable support of arts advocates, donors, and community organizers that we are here today. This year—and the end of last school year—has had a dispro- portionate sense of loss for our seniors. The students’ visions for the culmination of four years of study took a sharp turn. Yet, with grace and adaptability they met the challenges and losses with energy and passion and turned every opportunity into a meaningful experience. It is with great pride that we witness the transcendence of these short- falls—both locally, and more broadly across the field of dance. When submissions for the festival call came in, and the pro- gram curation started taking shape, it was the robust response from new and recent UCSB Alumni that inspired the program tonight. The choreographers, directors, filmmakers, and dancers presenting their work are representatives of various cohorts from the last few years. Their assemblage expresses the power of lineage and the shared history that connects graduates of any institution. The return of these artist— in various stages in their personal and professional lives—is an exciting and inspiring example of what is possible when you have the courage to forge your own path. Thank you so much for spending the evening with us, and for your ongoing support of the performing arts. We hope to see you again soon! —Brandon Whited, Curator/Artistic Director Gaucho Reunion: Hybrid Program featuring live performances and dance films by current students and alumni There is no other . UCSB Dance Company/Nancy Colahan Choreography: Nancy Colahan Score: Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi Performer: Sophia Yacap Infinite Corridor Selah Dance Collective/Meredith Cabaniss Ventura Choreography: Meredith Cabaniss Ventura Music: Jon Hopkins, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie and Dustin O’Halloran Performers: Bryn Gallagher, Amara Galloway, Arianna Hartanov, Amanda Keller, Ashley Kohler, Tara McAninch, Daisy Mohrman, Rachyl Pines & Meredith Cabaniss Ventura At Once SG Dancers/Whitney Ross Choreography: Whitney Ross Dancers: Morgan Geraghty, Stephanie Hing, Kate Perkins & Maddie Takemori In Flight and on Film UCSB Dance Company/Delila Moseley Pop – Choreography: Caili Quan Flight Choreography by Delila Moseley Solo Choreography by the dancers Music: Flight Intro Written and performed by Alysia Michelle James; Solecism Written and performed by Scott Buckley(with use under the CC BY 2.0), Aoide’s Box Written by Alysia Michelle James (Recorded at UCSB during CCS’s Winter Readings c 2009); Baião Destemperado Written and performed by Barbatuques, Corpo do Som (Permission for use: MCD) Galo Cantou Written and performed by Barbatuques (Permission for use: MCD) Performers: Amity Beardsley, Jayne Butler, Kelly Gao, Elijah Hahn-Smith, Erick Martinez, Sera Shahgholian, Dakota Smith, Jenny Thach, Andrew To & Sophia Yacap Intermission Sylkies Psychopomp Dance Theater/Ryan Howard Direction: Ryan Howard Choreography: Shenandoah Harris Music: Riley Smith Production Assistant: Melissa Hartman Performers: Abigail Chuah, Nicole Flores, Shenandoah Harris & Erin White Effort of Hope UCSB Dance Company/Gianna Burright Choreography: Gianna Burright in collaboration with the dancers Music Composition and Sound Design: Sio Tepper What The World Needs Now Dionne Warwick Sound Engineer: Nathan Salman Costume Design: Gianna Burright, & other stories, Everlane Dancers: Amity Beardsley, Sera Shahgholian, Dakota Smith, Andrew To & Sophia Yacap Dag Gadol (excerpt) Psychopomp Dance Theater/Shenandoah Harris Artistic Director/Choreographer: Shenandoah Harris Costume Designer: Ryan Howard Original score: Riley Smith Performer: Shenandoah Harris Ride UCSB Dance Company/Joshua Manculich Choreography by Joshua Manculich Music: Julia Wolfe Costumes: Beatriz Borbon Dancers: Amity Beardsley, Jayne Butler, Kelly Gao, Erick Martinez, Sera Shah- gholian, Dakota Smith, Jenny Thach, Andrew To & Sophia Yacap Follow us on social media: on Facebook we are @CenterstageSB and Instagram @centerstagetheatersb. We would love to see photos of your Center Stage adventures. #centerstagetheatersb. Choreographers-Filmakers Gianna Burright is a California based dance artist who holds a BFA in Dance from UCSB and an MFA in Choreography from Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance. At Laban she was a Leverhulme Scholar and recipient of the Lesley Anne-Sayers Research Award. She has presented her work in England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Greece and the US, including locations such as the Turner Contemporary Gal- lery, Bonnie Bird Theatre, Waterloo East Theatre, The Place and the International Edinburgh Fringe Festival, ZOO venues. Gianna’s credits include: UCSB Dance Company, Selah Dance Collective, The Improv Sessions, A Truefit Collective, Nebula Dance Lab, Motion Theatre Dance Company, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, (dance education lesson plans), Devin Fulton Dance, Irvine Valley College performance ensemble, assistant/rehearsal director to Danielle Agami of Ate9, a part of LA Contemporary Dance Company’s first ever choreography lab and has been a guest artist for the dance department of Nordhoff High School. Gianna is the co-founder/co-artistic director of the newly established international dance collective GBworks; which supports and produces work of female, female iden- tifying and non-binary artists that has crossed the borders of the US, England and Scotland with desire to keep expanding. “The autobiographical, collaborative process that was used to establish this new work created space for all collabora- tors to define the world that they are currently experiencing and also birth a world that they wish to see and be a part of. Effort of Hope questions what it means to not live fully and cherishes memories of past human connection while under- standing that we must never return to “normal”. Nancy Colahan danced professionally for 31 years, having performed in the choreography of major modern dance cho- reographers and companies, including Alvin Ailey Repertory Dance Theater, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Barysh- nikov’s White Oak Dance Project, and American Repertory Dance Company. She has many guest artist appearances (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Jose Limon Dance Company, Huston Grand Opera, the Royal Danish Ballet) and dance film credits to her name, encompassing performing venues such as rehab centers, prisons and block party events in NY City, to the Neolithic ruins on the island of Gozo, to the opera houses of the world. A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theater and Dance, she is celebrating her 21th year as a teacher of modern dance technique. Nancy is a sailor, and races locally on the beautiful yacht Ferdinand. Shenandoah Harris was born and raised in Denver, Colora- do. From a young age she was involved in both Theater and Dance. Upon moving to California she continued to pursue her love of dance training at several studios in Northern California including Alonzo King Lines Ballet. She went on to receive her BFA in Dance from University California, Santa Barbara with a second degree in Theater Production and Design. She has worked as a Designer and Technician at several companies in Los Angeles including Mattel Toys, Golden Voice and Univer- sal Studios. Shenandoah toured professionally as a performer and dance educator with Diavolo Architecture in Motion for two and a half years. After her time with Diavolo. She turned her focus to her true passion; Psycho- pomp Dance Theater. Psychopomp has performed throughout Southern Cali- fornia, created several films and has continued to offer online screenings, dance and fitness classes as well as community creation workshops on the company’s Patreon when in-person gathering was not a possibility. In addition to her per- formance and choreography, Shenandoah works as a Personal Trainer focusing on both strength training practices such as powerlifting and also longevity based work such as mobility, functional movement and pain management. Her work as a trainer influences Psychopomp deeply both in company practices and move- ment style. Shenandoah’s passion for the body is the throughline that connects all of her work together, believing that physical movement and a deeper understand- ing of the mind, body and spirit is the key to a more empathic and unified world. Ryan Howard was born and raised in Buellton, California. He has a degree in Theater Production and Design from the Uni- versity of California, Santa Barbara. He now works and lives in Los Angeles as a Designer and Maker. Ryan has worked with Center Theater Group as a Prop Artisan and Theater Techni- cian, and is the Director of Production and Design for Psycho- pomp Dance Theater. His work has been seen onstage at the Ahmanson Theater, the Mark Taper Forum, and the Kirk Douglas Theater. His current artistic adventure is exploring the world of analog film,