“I went last night. I cried the whole time. It thawed my heart out. I walked in a fuzzy minded zombie and left melting back into a human. It was like a good church service. I am so ready to love more people.”
— Robert Henry Johnson
Dear ones,
Thanks to all of you, Sarah Bush Dance Project presented a big, beautiful new work, Spirit & Bones to 3 full houses: October 26-28, 2018 at the Taube Atrium Theater in the Wilsey Center for Opera in San Francisco. Nearly 800 people got to see this impressive work.
Spirit & Bones had an all-female cast of 15 dance luminaries ranging in age from 23 to 71, an all-female band of 5 stellar musicians, a female design team (choreography, lights, costumes, scenery, graphics), an all-female audio and electrician crew, house staff, box office, P.R., web manager and photographers.
As an artist, I was driven to make a work that would provide people with a deep sense of being seen, honored, celebrated, heard, bolstered. I wanted this to be true in the creating, performing and witnessing of the show. I also wanted to surround myself with incredible women who inspired me. From process to product, Spirit & Bones fulfilled these desires.
From the depths of my heart, bones and spirit, Thank you for everything you contributed to the creation of this work and to the community we built together. I do believe that each of us is, and together we are, changing the world.
With love and gratitude,
Sarah Bush, Artistic Director
“The tenderness of the elder’s blessing first brought me to tears. And I wept from then on until I smiled and laughed again as the scream turned into sound and tone and howling and in my very bones I felt changed. I remember now that I am supported by my sisters, daughters, grandmothers. I see in my mind the pulsing breath of that powerful force, dancers, women of all ages, shapes, sizes, colors, moving together, wings, paws, branches opening and closing with inhale and exhale. I see this, feel this memory and sitting here on my couch this morning the tears return. Not just the tears, which I welcome, but the shiver through my whole body reminding me of my strength and vulnerability, my dancing spirit, my bones. In every way I want to get up and tear through the world, fierce and tender, playful and serene, gathering my sisters, friends, loved ones along the way. Together, we hold each other up. I feel supported. Thank you. I am reminded once again of my roots, my soul calling, my wild dancing self, the purpose of my own art and creativity. Powerful.”
— Anna Landauer
Read more audience responses to Spirit & Bones, or add your own.
If you are interested in going behind-the-scenes and learning more about the creative process, please visit https://sarahbushdance.org/spirit-and-bones/ to see the trailer video, read press articles and listen to an in-depth radio interview.
Sarah Bush Dance Project 