Seattle Dance Collective Presents CONTINUUM: BRIDGING THE DISTANCE

Seattle Dance Collective (SDC), under the direction of Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Dancers Noelani Pantastico and James Yoichi Moore, presents five new works - all conceived and produced under the constraints of social distancing. Continuum: Bridging the Distance, will be broadcast digitally over the course of five weeks, beginning with the world premiere of Penny Saunders' Home on July 2, 2020.

Forced to cancel their second season of live performances, SDC Founders and Artistic Directors Pantastico and Moore embarked on a re-imagination of how to carry out their vision for the company by finding unconventional ways to foster collaboration between choreographers and dancers. The resulting five creations were choreographed and rehearsed via video call, and then filmed for digital release. Dancers involved in the same piece had been sheltering-in-place together, and if not, they were filmed separately to maintain safe social distance from each other.

"Rather than share pre-recorded content, we wanted our project to serve as a time stamp to reflect this unprecedented and disconcerting period we find ourselves in," said Pantastico. "Although we gave the choreographers the freedom to create anything they wanted, many of the pieces clearly echo the emotional struggles that everyone is dealing with during this strange time of isolation."

"Not only are we coping with the effects of a global pandemic, but we are also facing profound grief and outrage over racial injustice in our society," Moore added. "People need art now more than ever, and it is our responsibility to put it out there. With the absence of live performance, we are grateful to have been able to offer much-needed jobs to our colleagues, and perhaps more importantly, to have provided a pathway for all of us to continue exploring our craft in the face of so many obstacles. Providing the community with an artistic reflection of life's challenges is how we believe dancers can contribute best."

Continuum: Bridging the Distance includes five works of art performed by members of Seattle Dance Collective and filmed by Seattle-based filmmaker Henry Wurtz. Each piece is under seven minutes in length and includes locations ranging from an empty rooftop bar to a waterfront wooden pier. In addition to the weekly premieres, each piece will be accompanied by a behind-the-scenes video documenting the challenges faced and discoveries made during this uncharted creative process. SDC will also be offering online classes throughout the series, taught by artists involved in each week's released new work. All project broadcasts and classes will be free to the public.

For more information, please visit www.seattledancecollective.org.