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Dancers Jeremy Bannon-Neches, Christian Squires, Douglas Gillespie, Allie Papazian, Cora Cliburn, James Gilmer and Rachel Furst. Photo by RJ Muna, courtesy of ODC/Dance.

Up for Air (Decameron), 2019

Kate Weare joined ODC’s choreographers, Brenda Way, KT Nelson & Kimi Okada in the creation of this work, performed by dancers from NYC-based Kate Weare Company and SF-based ODC/Dance. Up for Air (Decameron) was slated to premiere at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in SF in March of 2020, when covid hit, shutting down performances across the U.S. In 2021, Up for Air (Decameron) was made into a film by ODC’s Artistic Director Brenda Way, along with Kate Weare, Kimi Okada & KT Nelson.

Presciently, Up for Air (Decameron) was inspired by The Decameron, a novel by 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio, in which ten aristocrats flee plague-devastated Florence to find refuge in a nearby villa. During their retreat the nobles pass the time by telling each other touching and bawdy tales; these stories constitute The Decameron, written between 1348-1352. With multiple narrators, The Decameron provided a perfect framework for weaving together four distinct choreographic voices and two distinct dance companies.

Combining 3 dancers from Kate Weare Company with 7 dancers from ODC/Dance, the 4 choreographers embarked on a whirlwind exchange of stories, choreographic material and working methods. The resulting work is a wandering into the imagination, a playground of serendipity and story-telling, and a dream about the desire to love each other tenderly, messily and truly.

Credits

Choreography: Kate Weare, Brenda Way, KT Nelson, Kimi Okada
Original Score: Emily Mann
Costume Design: Kyo Yohena and choreographers
Lighting and Stage Design: Jim French:
Originating Dancers: KWCo's Douglas Gillespie, Ryan Rouland Smith, Nicole Vaughan-Diaz ODC's Dancers Jeremy Bannon-Neches, Mia J. Chong, Cora Cliburn, Rachel Furst, James Gilmer, Allie Papazian, Christian Squires

Dancers Jeremy Bannon-Neches, Christian Squires, Douglas Gillespie, Allie Papazian, Cora Cliburn, James Gilmer and Rachel Furst. Photo by RJ Muna, courtesy of ODC/Dance.



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