UCSB Theater/Dance Presents KINETIC LAB 2021

Kicking off the 2021-2022 Dance Performance Season at the UCSB Department of Theater and Dance and a return to live performance, KINETIC LAB 2021 will feature new works by BFA Dance Students. Kinetic Lab is a creative process-focused choreography course for students to discover their individual compositional methods and unique artistic voices.

Under the direction of Brandon Whited (Assistant Professor of Dance/Director of Dance Performance) the program will feature work by student choreographers Ana Ko-Glass, Alice Lousen, Robbie Rosenmiller, Michaela Perez-Kelly, and Britney Walton. The concert will also include a guest performance by the UCSB Dance Company (under the Artistic Direction of Delila Moseley) with a new work, Group Autogenics, co-choreographed by UCSB Dance Alum Derion Loman, and Madison Olandt. The choreographers are particularly excited for the opportunity to work with Michael Klaers who will provide Lighting and Production Design for the concert.

The primary framework of Kinetic Lab is to allow the student choreographers to explore the complexities and potentials of choreography for small groups. Building on foundational choreography courses focused on solo and duet development, the student-choreographers step outside the action to inhabit the directorial aspects of the process of choreography. Drawing from personal, lived experiences-and in large part a reflection of our current state of the world-these choreographers depart on a journey of personal discovery and development to provide a rich experience for the audience.

Inspired by the idea of the past, present and future together as one, Ana Ko Glass and her six dancers utilize the physicality of beach waves to intertwine time and experiences. Continuing with the notion of carrying the knowledge of previous experiences into the future, her piece begins with casual pedestrian movement. The dancers evolve by taking on water-like qualities portraying rippling and waving visuals through the body, and group, to help create a performance that is sure to wash away feelings of regret.

Michaela Perez-Kelly's piece will delve into the idea of mourning one's unrealized self and 'what could have been.' Six dancers will take the stage to guide the audience through a journey of continuous self-acceptance and self-assurance as the dance progresses. This ongoing cycle of mourning and acceptance is the dark daydream that Michaela will portray onstage with the hope of welcoming a new being.

Alice Lousen's new work tracks three dancers through individual journeys into the unknown. Gradually, the uneasy becomes comfortable. To truly immerse the dancers into an unknown space, Ms. Lousen incorporates chance elements that both the audience and dancers will navigate together.

Through the exploration of mirroring, betrayal, and acceptance, Robbie Rosenmiller and his dancers explore the universal relationship between identity, trust, and betrayal. Rosenmiller challenges the audience to engage in a self-reflective journey through the performance.

Britney Walton's piece explores the complexities of interpersonal relationships and unrequited love. The six dancers express their individualistic experiences of grief and untold conversations-while finding comfort through community and each other's internal conflict.

Closing the program, L.A. based Guest Choreographers Derion Loman and Madison Olandt have collaborated to create a new work on the UCSB Dance Company. Titled Group Autogenics, the dance playfully and provocatively uses the 1960's text and music of Ken Nordine that he called "word jazz". Filled with swirling trench coats, Group Autogenics challenges and entices the viewer into a dreamlike world that goes deeper and deeper into the human mind. The piece was created during a four-week residency with students in the dance department, and with the UCSB Dance Company members in a workshop setting, using the dancers as collaborators.

Derion Loman is a creative director and choreographer based in Los Angeles. An alum of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Mr. Loman holds a B.A. in Psychology and B.F.A. in Dance. He began his career in Ballet Hispanico's Second Company, and went on to join Pilobolus Dance Theatre from 2013-2017. In his time with Pilobolus he performed works created in collaboration with artists such as: Sidi Larbi, Avshalom Poluk and Imbal Pinto. He later toured with Diavolo Architecture in motion, and placed in the finals of America's Got Talent with the company. Most recently Derion is known for being a Divisional Finalist on NBC's World of Dance Season 3, and the 2019 Emmy Awards. Derion is drawn to projects centered around connectivity, collaboration, and human moments.

Madison Olandt is a choreographer and movement artist from Los Angeles, CA. She received degrees in both Dance and Psychology from UCLA. In her dance career, Ms. Olandt has worked with Diavolo, Jacob Jonas The Company, Google, Academy of Villains Contemporary, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Whim W'Him Seattle Contemporary BH, The Staples Center, America's Got Talent, and World of Dance. As a director, some of her short dance films have been featured on the Marquee TV Streaming Platform, San Francisco Dance Film Festival, as well as the Focus Art Film Festival at the Louvre in Paris.

Describing their new work for UCSB Dance Company, Loman and Olandt explain: "At this moment in time, we are interested in investigating the philosophy of thought and the depth of the human mind...which toggles between comedic and deeply emotional. Our process is rooted in collaboration and play. We strive to create a world that feels dreamlike yet relatable for our audience to enjoy."

Join the Department of Theater and Dance for this must-see show in the beautiful Hatlen Theater. Tickets are available at the UCSB Theater and Dance box office, by phone at (805) 893 - 2064, and online at www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu.

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