ODC Theatre Adds Sunday Show for RAWdance; World Premiere of DOUBLE EXPOSURE

ODC Theater is proud to present RAWdance in the world premiere of Double Exposure, a series of 12 duets each choreographed by a different West Coast choreographer or choreographic team. Artistic Directors Ryan T. Smith andWendy Rein are the evening's sole performers in an event they're calling "the ultimate duet." Double Exposure runs July 28 - 31, Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 - $45, and may be purchased online at odcdance.org/tickets or by phone at 415.863.9834.

Culminating four years of development, this premiere offers a survey of contemporary West Coast dance encapsulated in the bodies of its two performers. RAWdance commissioned short works of about two to four minutes each from Amy O'Neal, Amy Seiwert, Ann Carlson, casebolt and smith, David Roussève, Holly Johnston, Joe Goode, Kate Wallich, KT Nelson, Monique Jenkinson/Fauxnique, Shinichi and Dana Iova-Koga, and Tahni Holt. As a co-commissioner on the project, ODC Theater worked closely with RAWdance in the selection of choreographers.

"Double Exposure is a departure for us," says Smith. "It's the first time we've commissioned other artists to make work on us, and we've thrown ourselves into the process with an open mind."

"It's been an incredible opportunity to work with choreographers we've always admired," adds Rein. "It's been especially rewarding to capture the distinctness of their voices in duets which remind us of why we make dance in the first place. The duets present 12 unique voices, drawing from a broad array of sources including ballet, butoh, dance theater and many more. Together they evoke questions about gender, race and identity, alternately stirring up love, pain and the occasional bout of laughter."

In addition to participating in the creation of each duet, Smith and Rein have crafted interstitial material to knit the pieces together into a seamless whole.

The musical selections in Double Exposure span the gamut from classical to lounge, from spoken and sung text to sampled dialogue from a 1970s-era French film. "In the interest of variety, we helped guide the process, but the final choices belonged to each choreographer," notes Smith.

Similarly, Smith and Rein invited the choreographers to participate in the costume design for their duets. They also invited costume designer Kristen McCullough to create select looks and collaborate on a costume through-line for the evening.

Longtime RAWdance collaborators Sean Riley and Jim French return as scenic and lighting designer, respectively.

Documenting the rehearsal and design process over the last year has been photographerHillary Goidell. A selection of her photographs are currently on display in the lobby of ODC Theater through the end of July.

"ODC is thrilled to be a part of this project for many different reasons," remarked ODC Deputy Director for Advancement Christy Bolingbroke. "For starters, Double Exposure offers a rare opportunity for audiences to experience the work of so many different choreographers on two adroit performers. RAWdance is a company-in-residence at ODC, and our investment in them is also an investment in the creative process and the future of dance. As a disruption of their almost two-decades-long collaboration, Double Exposure has created a valuable opportunity for Ryan and Wendy to question their habits and their sense of identity as a creative duo, and ultimately to grow as artists."

In August RAWdance will perform portions of Double Exposure at Jacob's Pillow in Massachusetts.

This presentation of RAWdance is made possible with generous support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

An award-winning contemporary Dance Company formed in 2004, RAWdance is known for transforming theaters and public spaces with intellectually and emotionally layered performances. Through the unique partnership of Co-Artistic Directors Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein, the company has earned a reputation for its visually striking, kinetically charged works that consistently push into exciting territory. SF Weekly dubbed the company's work "edgy, sexy inventive fare designed to speak to audiences." Critical Dance has described it as "experimental work done brilliantly." And the San Francisco Chronicle heralded the artistic directors' "genuine partnership, one of the more thrilling in Bay Area dance."

RAWdance has been supported through residencies at ODC Theater, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, CounterPULSE, Jon Sims Center, and the Ucross Foundation. In 2010 the company was awarded a Choreographers in Mentorship Exchange (CHIME) award. Smith and Rein have been guest artists at universities, high schools and teach workshops regularly. The company has performed in Singapore, China, Chicago, Providence, Washington DC, St. Louis, and New York, as well as venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

In 2007 in an effort to inspire dialogue and engage the community, the company launched its biannual CONCEPT series, an informal and intimate salon of contemporary dance. To date, the series has presented works by 78 of the Bay Area's talented professional artists in a casual environment with coffee and popcorn. The CONCEPT series was named "Best Way to Sample S.F.'s Contemporary Dance Scene" by SF Weekly.

ODC Theater participates in the creation of new works through commissioning, presenting, mentorship and space access; it develops informed, engaged and committed audiences; and it advocates for the performing arts as an essential component to the region's economic and cultural development. The Theater is the site of over 120 performances a year involving nearly 1,000 local, regional, national and International Artists.

Since 1976, ODC Theater has been the mobilizing force behind countless San Francisco artists and the foothold for national and international touring artists seeking debut in the Bay Area. The Theater, founded by Brenda Way and currently under the direction of Christy Bolingbroke, has earned its place as a cultural incubator by dedicating itself to creative change-makers, those leaders who give the Bay Area its unmistakable definition and flare. Nationally known artists Spaulding Gray, Diamanda Galas, Bill T. Jones, Eiko & Koma, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Karole Armitage, Sarah Michelson, Brian Brooks and John Heginbotham are among those whose first San Francisco appearance occurred at ODC Theater. For more information about ODC Theater and all its programs visit odcdance.org.

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