RAWdance Premieres SHADOW (PART 1) On Double Bill This Fall

Under the banner of TAKE 3, bicoastal contemporary dance company RAWdance returns to ODC Theater's virtual stage October 29 - 30 with two works by the company's three artistic directors. Shadow (part 1) premieres with choreography by Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein.

It is the first chapter of a multidisciplinary opus exploring identity as constructed through the murky world of our digital footprints. The Healer, with choreography by Katerina Wong, premiered in January. It mines the ancient history, systems and beliefs of Traditional Chinese Medicine to shed light on humanity's innate ability to overcome physical and emotional suffering.

TAKE 3 is co-presented by ODC Theater with three livestream screenings: Friday the 29th at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET, Saturday the 30th at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, and again on Saturday at 8 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET. In addition, patrons will have access to the video on demand from October 29 - November 7. Audio description and captioning will be provided for all screenings, both livestream and on demand. To purchase tickets, starting at $15 per household, visit odc.dance/TAKE3.

Delayed more than a year due to the pandemic, Shadow has involved "a deep dive into our ever-expanding digital lives," said Rein. "We're exploring the nature of the digital debris that accompanies each click, search and download, and what this information might reveal about us both as consumers - and increasingly as commodities ourselves."

"From contact tracing to the apps that hold proof of vaccination, the pandemic has only magnified the link between our bodies and digital tracking," added Smith. "Online shopping increased. Streaming services are booming. The amount of digital data generated and tracked on a daily basis has just exploded."

Part one of Shadow will take the form of a quartet with dancers Carly Johnson and Victor Talledos joining Smith and Rein. Additional collaborators include composer Surabhi Saraf, whose current research centers on emotional materiality and artificial intelligence; scenic designer Chad Owens; lighting designer Del Medoff; and director of photography Ben Estabrook.

"We are thrilled to reunite with Ben for this project," said Smith. "Ten years ago, he captured our first foray into dance film, instantly elevating all of our ideas with his thoughtful eye and guidance. As we shift the focus of this work from the stage to the screen, we're excited by the opportunity to work with him again."

Part two of Shadow will premiere next year as a gallery installation combining film, augmented reality and live performance.

Rounding out the program will be The Healer, praised for its "meditative marriage of somatics and mindfulness," showcasing "beautiful shapes...shared vocalization...[and] powerful unison sequences" (Heather Desaulniers for CriticalDance). Created in memory of Wong's late aunt, an internationally recognized health and wellness practitioner, who integrated Eastern and Western healing modalities, The Healer features an ensemble of four dancers, each drawing on their own ancestries and visions of female strength. In addition to Wong, the cast includes Michaela Cruze, Juliann Witt and Stacey Yuen.

Daniel Berkman provided The Healer's electro-acoustic musical score, and Chad Owens designed the scenic elements combining the five elements as codified in Traditional Chinese Medicine: wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

For more information, visit RAWdance.org/TAKE-3.

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