Performances
Shakti Moves Dance Company premieres full length production:
Myths & Makers
A fantastical series of short stories told through movement, spoken word, and visual art
From the cosmos to the jungle, Myths and Makers highlights the role of the feminine archetype through a collection of performances, taking viewers on an evocative journey of exploration and catharsis.
WHEN:
September 26, 27, 28, 2024 | 8:00pm
September 28, 2024 | 2:00pm
WHERE:
Ground Floor Theatre
979 Springdale Road • Austin TX 78702
FEATURING:
Company dancers as well as guest choreographers, musicians, and visual artists including:
Susan Douglas Roberts: “Sembradoras de Pajarros,” a quintet exploring the fertile ground in which we choose to plant our acts of kindness with original music composition by William Labossiere
Erica Santiago: “Biosphere,” an original piece about the ecosystems we spring forth from and return to with an original sound score by Daniel Sanchez
Cassandra DeFreitas: a devised, bilingual spoken word piece in two parts
Lighting Design by Stephen Pruitt and Multi-Media Art by Amelia TUrner
ENJOY A VISUAL ARTS EXHIBIT IN THE LOBBY!
featuring work by local Austin artists Renee Nunez, Amelia Turner, Ion Mot, and photographer Stephen Pruitt.
Cassandra is an actress and artist (& self- proclaimed yogi) working in Austin, TX. Since moving to the city in 2019, she has been navigating the creative and independent theater scenes. Working with companies like Bottle Alley Theater, SkyDome Stage Company, Cheerful Secrets and Different Stages. Last year, Cassandra co-founded a woman run record label where she organizes the events for her artist friends- It's this passion for art, the stage and community that has led Cassandra straight to Shakti moves.
Cassandra DeFreitas
Guest Artist
As a life-long dancemaker, Susan Douglas Roberts is curious about the details that bridge choreographed and lived experience and frame the choices that performing artists make on stage. She is artistic director of wild goose chase dance, a professional company based in Texas and Maine in the USA, and free-lances with artists and companies by invitation. Her career has taken her to performance venues across the US, in Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, South America, Europe, Taiwan and Australia. Honors include two Fulbright Specialist Awards and multiple artist/teacher awards at TCU where she earned the rank Professor of Dance. Susan and her husband, Don, open their space wild goose chase/the landing in Maine, where the geese actually cruise on a tidal estuary across the road, to artists and educators for residencies and workshops. For more information, visit www.wildgoosechasedance.org
Susan Douglas Roberts
Guest Artist
William Labossiere is a diverse performer and energetic teacher who is always looking to take on a challenge. Will has been the instructional staff musician in the Texas Christian University dance department since 2023. He accompanies modern dance and ballet with piano and percussion, composes for faculty, and teaches a music for dancers course. His compositions have been received with acclaim and been performed across the US and Canada. Having studied dance musicianship with Michael Wall, he is an active advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration.
Will has played with groups such as the Greensboro Symphony, NC Brass Band, and the Roanoke Symphony, sharing the stage with top shelf artists like Kenny G and Ben Folds. A student of improvisation, he is a vibraphonist in his jazz collective and free improv group, the Labossiere Duo. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and the PASIC stage in Indianapolis. He plays regularly on drum set and piano and was a fellow at the Adirondack Performing Fellowship (2019) in upstate New York. Will has been performing music from a young age and has earned a bachelor’s in music performance from Messiah University studying with Erik Forst, a master’s degree in music performance and post baccalaureate certificate in jazz studies with Eric Willie and Chad Eby respectively at UNC Greensboro.
Will is currently based in Fort Worth, Texas with his dog, Clementine.
William Labossiere,
Composer - guest artists’ work
Rulitos is the solo project of Daniel Sanchez Chicaguala, a Chilean-American musician based out of Austin, TX. He just released his first EP via Flyer Club Records, the local Austin label best known for their work with TC Superstar and Cloud Companion.
Over the past few years, he has begun to branch out into scoring, composing music for a variety of short films and local productions; he composed the main theme to Biosphere during Shakti Moves Dance Company's 2023-2024 season.
Follow him at @iluvrulitos to keep track of upcoming performances and new releases.
Daniel Sanchez,
Original sound score
Daniela Vargas Calvo is a versatile professional dancer with a background in Contemporary Dance, Ballet, Latin Dance, West African dance, Choreography, and Sociology. Her dedication to the art of dance, combined with an academic background in sociology and professional studies in dance, allows her to create compelling performances and manage projects that resonate with the community and social context. Her creative process uses an interdisciplinary approach, is shaped by sociology and various artistic disciplines such as clown technique, physical theater, and poetry writing, influences her productions. Her ultimate aim as an artist and educator is to enhance access to dance within underserved communities and minority groups, emphasizing the transformative power of dance as a tool for empowerment and advocacy. Daniela is a part of Lannaya Drums and Dance Company, Dance Waterloo Dance Company, Corazon Latino, and Ballet Afrique.
Daniela Vargas Calvo,
Guest Artist
This project has been financed in whole or in part by the City of Austin’s Elevate Grant Program.