Bulgarian Adventures, #SpiritAndBones campaign, and upcoming events

April!  Here in Northern California the hills are GREEN, things are BLOOMING.  Such a feast for the eyes.

Dancing in Bulgaria

I’ve just returned home from a wonderful trip to Bulgaria where, thanks in part to The International Choreographers’ Organization and Networking Services (ICONS) , I was invited to teach a two-day workshop at Derida Dance Center in Sofia, meet other choreographers, and see several performances.  Everyone was so generous, friendly and excited about what I had to offer.  I am so grateful. Watch a video of some of the Derida students and company members dancing through Spirit and Bones concepts (to an original score by singer-songwriter Natalia Zukerman!!)

Campaign Announcement

I’m still fighting though some jet-lag but glad to be home and diving back into SBDP’s new project, Spirit and Bones. It is truly SBDP’s biggest show yet, including: a large cast of stellar dancers of all ages, creative scenic and visual design, and, for the first time ever, a full original score performed by a live band!  I am excited to introduce you to all of these artists and give you an inside peek into the stunning venue where we’ll be performing. It is a BIG show. It is the right time to bring together these artists, to make this work, to set it on a big stage.  And, it is a big investment. Rose and I have been hard at work writing grant proposals, Lisa and I have been crunching the numbers. I have saved almost half of the money we need to produce this great show. And, we will be actively looking to you and to all our communities, to complete this circle and join us in investing in these artists and this vision.

We are so grateful to all of you who have given so generously to SBDP through the years, to our monthly and annual donors, to those donations that keep coming because you are moved by and believe in the work we do.  Individual and employee matching gifts are the funds that sustain us.

It’s been many years since SBDP has done a major fundraiser and I am excited to create a campaign that feels informative and FUN.  We’re calling the campaign “Bones for the Spirit” (get it?) and it kicks off on May 1st and will conclude on June 30th. We’ll still only send a couple emails each month, but we’ll be posting daily social media content as a way to bring you into the Spirit and Bones world we are creating – the values, ideas and goals we have for the project, the people and processes that bring it all to life.  The collaborators and I will be using the hashtag #supportSpiritAndBones. Search for that on any of our social media platforms to join us on the journey.

Mark Your Calendars

Bay Area folks – you can see the rehearsal process IN PERSON next week!

For Bay Area Dance Week we’ll be hosting an open rehearsal Friday May 4th, 4-6pm as part of our Residency at Berkeley Art Center. It’s a chance to observe our process, to share with us your thoughts, to take photos or video clips AND to experience the whimsical current exhibit in the gallery The Measure of Enjoyment.  This is a FREE, wheelchair-accessible event.

Look at our fun ritual that starts off the beginning of each rehearsal – Amaze-balls! How many ways can you move 50 of these spheres?  (They’re heavier than they look!)

We have lots more community events coming up, click here to see the current list!

In love, anticipation and creation, with blooms and gratitude, I wish you sweet, green abundance.

To be continued…

Sarah

Support Spirit & Bones