December 19-January 3; premieres Dec 19, 7pm and Dec 20, 5pm
ZiRu Dance today announced the Third Annual Silicon Valley Dance Festival, entitled "Renewal," presented via livestream on December 19 and 20 and continuing on demand through January 3. "Renewal" includes workshop classes, and international cultural exchange focused on positive growth, healing, and equity while helping to dispel xenophobia and feelings of isolation as a result of Covid-19.
The December 19 virtual Mainstage program features two world premieres by ZiRu Dance and the work of seven featured choreographers, including five BIPOC artists: Philein Wang of ZiRu Dance (Redwood City); Robert Moses of Robert Moses' KIN (San Francisco); ADIYA of BeijingDance/LDTX (Beijing, China); Brenda Way and KT Nelson of ODC/Dance (San Francisco); Sidra Bell of Sidra Bell Dance New York; and Jennifer Archibald for AXIS Dance Company (Oakland). The Emerging Choreographers program on December 20 features the work of Melecio Estrella and Tassiana Willis (BANDALOOP), Eric Garcia, Charles Roy Jr., and world premieres by Vincent Chavez, and Miche Wong and Jaime Garcia Castilla.
Wang, Artistic Director of ZiRu Dance says, "In times like these, dance can serve to shed light on and offer ways to heal from racism, xenophobia, and isolation." For the Festival, ZiRu Dance will present two world premiere works by Wang: an ensemble piece, "We Can Hold No More," and a solo "Be Still: These Echos of Longing," created in direct response to recent anti-Asian American xenophobia.
ODC/Dance will present "Sleeping Beauty" choreographed by Brenda Way and KT Nelson. Robert Moses' KIN will present the site specific film "The Road to a New Hope" and Sidra Bell Dance New York presents "waiting." AXIS Dance Company will share an excerpt from Jennifer Archibald's "Petrichor - the smell of earth after rain" (2019). BeijingDance/LDTX will present "Arc" (2018), a symbolic reflection on the arc of life, the ups and downs and the ebbs and flows, choreographed by ADIYA.