Repertory
Sound and Smoke (2023)
Sound and Smoke is an interdisciplinary exploration of early modern dance and its intersections with the mythical decadence of Weimar-era cabaret. As an ensemble, evening-length work, Sound and Smoke has developed into a more extensive investigation of “dancing death.” The work considers the staging of women’s deaths in theatrical representation in conversation with the history of modern dance. Sound and Smoke references historical, literary, and avant-garde figures and blends popular culture and high art, much like the cabaret and modern dance artists that Ventura references throughout the concert. Each dancer in the cast represents a woman whose life, work, and death speak to contemporary ideas about women's bodies.
ORIGINAL CAST: ALEXIS ROBARDS, AMANDA KELLER, ARIADNE FERNANDEZ, ARIANNA HARTANOV, ASHLEY KOHLER, BRENNA CHUMACERO, BRANDY CONTRERAS, CHLOE SWOISKIN, EMILY MCKINNEY, JAMISON USELDING, KATIE MENDELSBERG, LAUREN JESPERSEN, MADELEINE WILKOWSKE, MEREDITH VENTURA, MONIQUE NADEAU, RACHYL PINES, RILEY HALEY, TIERSHA LIN, VICTORIA SNIDER, VIETOR DAVIS
DRAMATURGY: CASSIE ARCHER
Rogue Planets (2016)
A rogue planet, also known as an interstellar planet, nomad planet, free-floating planet, wandering planet or starless planet, is a planetary-mass object that orbits the galaxy directly with no gravitational relationship to a star. In "Rogue Planets", Meredith Cabaniss develops movement that explores the essence of human relationships and individual identity. The four planets, also symbolizing the four horsemen of the apocalypse, move in and out of gravitational relationships with one another through glances, near-misses, and collisions that redefines their sense of self in and out of relationship to one another.
ORIGINAL CAST: ASHLEY KOHLER, BRIANA MARKOVICH, MEGAN CIARLO, COLIN SNEDDON
Rite of Spring (2022)
In her adaptation, Meredith Ventura creates a new and refreshing take on Vaslav Nijinsky’s revolutionary 1913 ballet with dancers from throughout Southern California. Ventura chose to develop the work with members of Selah Dance Collective, State Street Ballet, and dancers from the greater Los Angeles area in collaboration with UCSB's undergraduate Dance program. Ventura continues to develop her distinctive blend of athleticism and poignant storytelling through the medium of contemporary dance.
ORIGINAL CAST: DAISY MOHRMAN, ASHLEY KOHLER, BIANCA SALAZAR, ARIANNA HARTANOV, RACHYL PINES, AMANDA KELLER, MONIQUE NADEAU, TARA MCANINCH, NIKKI NISTAL, LEILA DRAKE, NATHALIE WUTKEE, AMELIA TAYLOR, BROOKLYNN REEVES-MALLETT, SARAH EICHLER, VICTORNIA SNIDER, GENEVIEVE NOONAN, ALEXIS ROBARDS, ALLIE MIKALATOS, MADELEINE WILKOWSKE, ANNIE HOWETH, CAMILLA ROBERTSON, RILEY HALEY, SLOAN TAKEUCHI-ROSS, MEGAN HANSON, GABRIELLA WEI, GWENDOLYN AUSTIN, MARTA CREMONINI, TIRZA PANUNTO, MEGHA RAMACHANDRAN, KATIE GONELLA, GRACE HOPPER, ELIZABETH KING
Taureau (2022)
Taureau, choreographed by assistant director Arianna Hartanov, is a vibrant dance for 7. Inspired by bull fighting and natural chaos, the movement is athletic and full-bodied, matching the energy of music by Orchestre de la Paillote.
ORIGINAL CAST: DAISY MOHRMAN, RACHYL PINES, ASHLEY KOHLER, VIETOR DAVIS, ALEXIS ROBARDS, AMANDA KELLER.
Quantum (2021)
Quantum is a 6-person dance piece that explores the minutiae of energy and labor through expansive ideas of temporality and scale. Inspired by the work of Max Planck and set to music by Liszt and Chopin, Quantum relies on precise musicality, motif, and interconnected movement. This work deals directly with the complexities of the "crisis of appearance" of female-identifying bodies onstage by scrutinizing what lies beneath the surface, emphasizing the power of subtle shifts, and revealing the concealed nature of many aspects of female labor, which ultimately manifest in conspicuous transformations. Physically, Quantum uses changes in gestures, shapes, or efforts to mirror how an individual's solitary action can snowball into collective movement.
ORIGINAL CAST: RACHYL PINES, BIANCA SALAZAR, ASHLEY KOHLER, MEREDITH CABANISS, ARIANNA HARTANOV, DAISY MOHRMAN.
Infinite Corridor (2021)
A work developed as an abstract way to reconcile a traumatic event, Infinite Corridor grew into an exploration of ego and sense of self. Through selah’s signature blend of synchronicity and physically demanding movement, Infinite Corridor explores the dissolution of the barriers that separate human consciousness. Driving the work is a desire to see how the expansion of one’s sense of self brings us into relationships with others and community while its contraction erodes our connection to others and the Self.
ORIGINAL CAST: BRYN GALLAGHER, CHLOÉ ROBERTS, AMANDA KELLER, RACHYL PINES, ARIANNA HARTANOV, TARA MCANINCH, AMARA GALLOWAY
Reverie (2021)
As a personal reflection on the lost year of the pandemic, where so many things were put on hold or extended or erased forever, Reverie stands as a monument to all lost things. Much of the work is based on solos created for each dancer and simple moments of unison, where each dancer retains their individuality. At times a kind of meditation, Reverie creates a vulnerable space for dancer and audience member alike to look deep within themselves and come to terms with what they see.
ORIGINAL CAST: BRYN GALLAGHER, CHLOÉ ROBERTS, RACHYL PINES, DAISY MOHRMAN, ARIANNA HARTANOV, TARA MCANINCH, AMARA GALLOWAY
WORK (2019)
Developed as part of the inaugural Performance Workshop, WORK deals with the machinations of our daily life as explored by the toll it takes on human bodies. Set to the music of Radiohead, WORK relies heavily on exhilaratingly physical movement, precise musicality, and partner work to create an ever-changing landscape of bodies and movement in space.
ORIGINAL CAST: LYDIA LAMBERTH, BIANCA SALAZAR, LUCIA QUIRIN, BRIANA MARKOVICH, ALANNA HURD, SARA GLASER, TAYLOR OSTRONIC, ASHLEY KOHLER, VIVIAN HOANG, GRACE SALSIDO, AMARA GALLOWAY, ALEXANDRIA MURRAY
Pivot! (2019)
Pivot! is a series of vignettes choreographed by Artistic Director Meredith Cabaniss in collaboration with the dancers. A reflection on stories told by the dancers and woven together with the process of grieving the loss of a family member, Pivot! dives deep into the process of finding joy amid pain and delight in the smallest of details.
ORIGINAL CAST: BIANCA SALAZAR, JULI FARLEY, TAYLOR OSTRONIC, ASHLEY KOHLER, RACHYL PINES, CHLOÉ ROBERTS, BRYN GALLAGHER, DAISY MOHRMAN, AMANDA KELLER, TARA MCANINCH, MONIQUE NADEAU