University Dance Theatre

University Dance Theatre
Directed by Ray Tadio

University Dance Theatre (UDT) faculty choreographers Kara Davis, dana fitchett, ArVejon Jones, and Ray Tadio investigate human connectivity in a time of forced isolation through short dance films. UDT dancers will also represent the School of Theatre & Dance at the system-wide CSU Dance Collective Virtual Concert.

Presentation Dates

Thursday, December 3rd @ 6pm
Friday, December 4th @ 6pm
Saturday, December 5th @ 6pm
Sunday, December 6th @ 2pm

The University Dance Theatre faculty choreographers and dancers will be having a Live Talk Back Session right after the UDT show on Sunday, December 6 at 2:50-4:00 pm(via Zoom).  Please join us for this insightful dialogue on the creative process of dance filmmaking and to simply get to know us!  You must register for the Sunday, December 6th concert at 2 pm to join in the Live Talk Back Session.

View the Production Flier (PDF)

Director's Note

It seems a lifetime since we’ve been in a studio dancing endlessly with familiar faces and personalities, purposely flinging our eager bodies to music and monotonous counts. Continuous refining and exciting explorations are what we do as dancers. We stumble, get up, shake off fears, try again, achieve, and restart. We’ve been creating nonstop during the pandemic, and with UDT this fall, we found a new, strange, and often frustrating way to continue our passion with Zoom rehearsals visible through tiny rectangular images of our private spaces.

We find our spirits energized once more by collaborating with renowned Director/Cinematographer Brynmore Williams, regardless of our virtual and technological challenges. We’ve been practicing, rehearsing, and filming diligently and enthusiastically to present four short dance films choreographed by the faculty. Unmatched by live performances of beautiful bodies in a theatrical space, UDT gives their heart, soul, and spirit beyond the virtual sphere.

-Ray Tadio

invisibilia

Choreography: dana e. fitchett
Technical Advisor/Editor: Brynmore Williams
Music: “Underneath the Willow” and “ELYODICRE” by Osunlade; “Rain Song” by Mike Steva
Dancers/Cinematographers: Tiana Avila, Onara de Silva, Caitlin Evans, Joshua Jung, Alexandra ‘Allie’ Levey, Luz Oble, Yasmine Vidaurre
Dance Captain: Joshua Jung
Costumes: selected by students with guidance from choreographer

Ever thine/mine/ours

Reflects the pandemic restrictions contrasted with the freedom in the music, dance, and poetry, as embodied by Ludwig Van Beethoven. As with lucid dreams, the dreamer longs to control a fictional environment, experiencing paralysis disguised as unrequited love and encountering real love supreme.

Choreography: Ray Tadio and Dancers
Technical Advisor/Editor: Brynmore Williams
Music: “Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: II. Adagio” by Ludwig Van Beethoven performed by Glen Gould; mixed and additional sound score by Joshua Prado
Dancers/Cinematographers: Tiana Avila, Marley Carter, Johan Casal, Hannah Collins, Alexandra ‘Allie’ Levey, Mira Rose, Elseana Skowronski
Dance Captain: Marley Carter
Costumes: Selected by students with guidance from choreographer

Resilience

Uncovers the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness

Choreographer: ArVejon Jones
Technical Advisor/Editor: Brynmore Williams
Music: “Malibongwe” (Instrumental)- Afrikan Roots Dancers/Cinematographers: Onara De Silva, Caitlin Evans, Joshua Jung, Annie Nguyen, Lam Nguyen, Luz Oble, Lucia Padilla, Yasmine Vidaurre, Yan Zhang
Dance Captain: Lucia Padilla
Costumes: Provided by dancers with color scheme by the choreographer

Sudden Strangeness

Speaks about humanity inside a slowing of pace, isolation, a different “togetherness.” Touches on the betrayals of patriarchy and the love that is found observing the small details of a human being mending the cracks of grief in the fallout of betrayal.

Choreography: Kara Davis in collaboration with the Dancers Film Editor: Kara Davis
Technical Advisor: Brynmore Williams
Poem: “Keeping Quiet” by Pablo Neruda
Music: “Razor Love” by Neil Young
Dancers/Cinematographers: Marley Carter, Johan Casal, Hannah Collins, Annie Nguyen, Lam Nguyen, Lucia Padilla, Mira Rose, Elseana Skowronski, Yan Zhang
Dance Captain: Johan Casal
Recitations: Miroslava Wilson (English), Kara Davis (Spanish) Costumes: Provided by Dancers

Acknowledgements

Land Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge that the campuses of San Francisco State University on the San Francisco peninsula and north bay are located within the occupied territories of the Ohlone peoples and the Coastal Miwok (who, along with the Southern Pomo, are organized as the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria). In this time of distance learning, the lands upon which students may sit as they think and learn may have additional Indigenous histories. We encourage students to learn these histories by beginning with the database https://native-land.ca/.We would also like to acknowledge the many ways in which a historically white Western canon of dramatic literature has often been a potent tool of cultural oppression and erasure. Because theatre is carried out with and on live bodies, it is vital to understand this history, recognize its continued impact, and make space for artistic and scholarly work that counters this oppression.

Production

Production Manager: Deirdre Mountain

Stream Engineers: Ray Oppenheimer, Erin Gibb

Front of House: Theater Management Class

Publicity Liaisons: Libby Martinez, Katy Habib, Gwyneth Forrester

Technical

Technical Director, Technologist: Erin Gibb

Master Electrician: Ray Oppenheimer

Sound Supervisor: Cliff Caruthers

Technical Advisor/Editor: Brynmore Williams

School of Theatre & Dance Faculty

School Director: Kim Schwartz

Bruce R Avery, Cece Bechelli, Terry Amara Boero, Arvejon Jones, Cliff Caruthers, Sukanya Chakrabarti, Christy Crowley, Kara Davis, Kurt Daw, Wendy Diamond, Conchita Fayos, Sara Felder, Isaac Fine, dana e. fitchett, Erin Gibb, Yukihiro Goto, Elizabeth Hunter, Deirdre Mountain, Ray Oppenheimer, Bill Peters, Dee Spencer, Ray Tadio, Jo Tomalin, Rhonnie Washington, Laura Wayth, Yutian Wong

School of Theatre & Dance Staff

Meghann Dubie, Greg Dunham, Victoria Giari, Joe Greene, Devon LaBelle

Theatre & Dance Student Assistants

Front Office: Jazmine Logan

Social Media: Libby Martinez, Diego Cazares

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Dean: Andrew Harris

Associate Deans: Troi Carleton, Gail Dawson, Susan Shimanoff

This production is supported by funding from the Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) fund.

The School of Theatre and Dance acknowledges CSU Entertain ment Alliance for funding Brynmore Williams’ Filmmaking Process master class for UDT on September 30, 2020.