Bright Land

Bright Land is a series of dances set to a score of old time music played live by San Francisco-based band, The Crooked Jades, described as the finest string band in America by The Boston Herald. Bright Land explores the cyclical nature of human experiences - kinship, belief, suffering and transcendence - through piercing, powerful choreography and fiery, soulful live music. We chose to work with old time music because of its inherent power to pull audience into an intimate and shared live experience, speaking directly to the issues facing Americans throughout history and today.

The Songbook

Click on a song title to see lyrics for songs that will be performed by the Crooked Jades in Bright Land.
Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down • Gonna Write Me a Letter • Ida Red • Lucy Molen • Old Man Below • Pearl Bryan • Sea Lion Woman • Shady Grove • Sleep in the River • Uncle Rabbit • The Unfortunate Rake • Waiting City Shining • Worlds On Fire

Photo Gallery

Premiere of Bright Land and The Joyce Theater
Photos by Keira Heu-Jwyn Chang
View the full gallery on flickr.