photos by Randi Lynn Beach
Between Underground & Skyworld
Presidio Theatre Performing Arts Center
Saturday, September 24th, 7pm PT
Sunday, September 25th, 2pm PT
Presidio Performing Arts Theatre
99 Moraga Ave
San Francisco, CA 94129
Raise your spirit to the skies. We live Between Underground & Skyworld. Dancing Earth Creations final tour destination brings us home to Yelamu-occupied Ohlone territory known as San Francisco, CA.
ABOUT Between Underground & Skyworld, 2022
Dancing Earth’s Between Underground & Skyworld brings to the stage a compelling story of dynamic young people struggling through the Apocalyptic present, with resilience and humor, as they survive the end of one world and dream in a futureworld of balance, harmony, connection and renewal. Storytelling takes infinite forms with this family friendly narrative with energetic expressive forms becoming poetic and dreamlike, as told through dance, dialogue, song, striking media projections of the Southwest, and unforgettable eco-innovative set design, costumes, handheld lanterns and shadow puppets - all created by intercultural collaborators and visionaries of the future!
Dancing Earth 2022 Fall Tour Cast
ABOUT Dancing Earth
DANCING EARTH CREATIONS dynamically activates our mission, to create contemporary dance and related arts through global indigenous and intercultural relationships centered in ecological and cultural diversity for creativity, health, and wellness.
Dancing Earth at Kennedy Center.
Founded by Artistic Director Rulan Tangen, to serve a need rarely met in the USA, DEC gives hope and opportunity to Native, mixed, global Indigenous and BIPOC talent who have been largely outside the dialogue of mainstream performance because of lack of access. DEC is an organic constellation of largely self-taught dancers, composers, costumers, filmmakers, and spoken word artists.
Together, DEC artists work with community members, culture carriers, and Native elders to explore the rich diversity of ancestral heritage, contemporary identity, and intra-cultural relationship building, by collaborating on innovative ecologically themed performances. DEC’s work promotes environmental awareness, cultural diversity, and understanding between peoples through contemporary arts expressions.
“We gather as individual artists to create experimental yet elemental dances that reflect our rich cultural heritage as contemporary global peoples. We strive to embody the unique essences of cultural perspectives by creation and renewal of artistic and cultural movement rituals. Ancient and futuristic, our dances are an elemental language of bone and blood memory in motion.” - Founding Director, Rulan Tangen
Dancing Earth is respectfully based in Ogaa Po Ogeh – occupied Tewa territory known as Santa Fe, NM and Yelamu – occupied Ohlone territory known as San Francisco, CA and are honored to bring this production here to homelands of the Ute people: we are honored that this new work emerges from land and sky that has been danced and sung into renewal by First Nations people of the Southwest since the beginning of time, and this vision includes contributions of respected and beloved cultural community members.
SHOW DESCRIPTION
ACT I
Constellations
A Beam of light enters space, making way for luminous beings. These superheroes represent core values of cultural teachings such as bravery, patience, kindness, groundedness, vision for generations ahead. As apparitions of destructive practices of Earth appear, they reach towards different make of animals, so they can take forms to give messages and guidance to humans.
Journey
Then, time speeds forward into the apocalypse of the present, with a new generation struggling for survival, and finding resilience. They crawl and climb a mountain to seek guidance, only to be told the knowledge is in their medicine bundles (their backpacks), as a creation story. Directed to cross the waters, they remember the ways of star navigation. They find humble items in their backpacks, are these the gifts which symbolize qualities and teachings? Eventually they find that connection, even to what is considered trash as having life force to be considered and appreciated. They move beyond greed and selfishness to share and exchange with each other, before moving into the dream realm where they are all connected, in a starlit web of energy and life force.
ACT II
Dreaming
In a dreamscape of balance and harmony, humans and constellations move together in recognition of their shared heritage.
Being
Arising early, they now remember to give a respectful greeting to the morning sun. With guidance from skyworld above and their roots below, they reflect the challenges of current realities, and the humans peel away layers towards understanding the forces and systems that have shaped the present. They dig deeper, to prepare themselves for the deeper meaning of the medicine bundles, and the responsibilities of those gifts. They move into connection with each other, generously embodying the wisdom and qualities, empathy, honesty, courage, gratitude, strength, kindness that are their superpowers. With these powers, they walk in beauty, with each other, with all people, with all forms of life as sacred.
The next step, of the future, is the dance to be made by us all collectively, the energy of continual renewal. So the open portal of possibility is brought into the audience, for us all to dream and co-create together…
OUR HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
TOURING OF THIS PRODUCTION MADE POSSIBLE BY: “Between Underground & Skyworld” was made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Theater Project Production and Touring award, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and additional support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
As well as a heartfelt thanks for the support of Dancing Earth from: The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, NoVo Foundation, California Arts Council, Gerbode Foundation.
And, we are grateful for additional support including in kind support from: Honor The Earth; Patagonia Environmental Grant and Action Works Match Fund; William Miglino and Cindy Montoya of New Mexico School for the Arts; Sheila and Jonah at Institute of American Indian Arts; New Mexico Dance Coalition; Myra Krien of Pomegranate Dance Studio; Elise Gent of Railyard Performance Center; Julie Brette Adams; Norman Lee Johnson; Kate Sweetster; filmmaker Francois; Layla Amis of Modas Dance; photographers Francois Achan, Randi Lynn Beach and Tyra Sandoval; Tanaya Winder; Suzy Di Santos, Felicia Meyer, Charles Leslie, LeAnn Brubaker, Jane Collard Gould and costume students, Alexis makeup assistance and Fort Lewis College and Concert Hall staff, crew and educators; and support for the initial tech residency and premiere from ASU Gammage; Jane King of Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, Dance Ensemble Students of the NVC, Laura Rios, Rosie Torres, Gera & Vanè of San Artè de Corazon, Bob Martin and Presidio Theatre and many other community, cultural ambassadors of the Yanaguana Lands (San Antonio, Tx), cultural ambassadors of the Lands of Yelamu ( San Francisco, CA) and our cultural ambassadors of the Ohlone Lands (East Bay, CA).
CAST & CREDITS
CO-FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Rulan Tangen
PROGRAM MANAGER: Angel Guanajuato
TECH DIRECTOR: Deirdre Morris
TAMU STAGE MANAGER: Krissie Day
REHEARSAL ASSISTANT TO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Esme Olivia
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Gregg Castro, Ohlone Culture Carrier
PERFORMING ARTISTS: Justin Giehm, Gabriel Carrion-Gonzales, Raven Bright, Rulan Tangen, Sarah Hogland-Gurule, with luminarias carried by CALIFA honorees: Emma Dewey, Taraneh Sarrafzadeh, Haley Maynard, Jesus Jach Cortes and students of Cuicacalli, Gina, Julia Miller Vasquez, Natalie Contrtas, Terri Storrs
CONCEPT: Rulan Tangen and Dancing Earth 2017-2022 associate artists, incorporating collaboration and visioning sessions with diasporic community members through lived cultural research and relationship building
CHOREOGRAPHY: Rulan Tangen with collaborative contributions from Dancing Earth 2017-2022 associate artists
PROJECTION: Marion Claire Wasserman of Elemental Designs, cinematography of Moon dance/lullaby by Louis Leray. Drone camera work with Luke Fitch and Cedar Jocks. Artists and community members in projection imagery include Ciera Budge, Deollo Johnson, Anne Pesata, Elijah Kennar, Justin Giehm, Melanie Pesata, Hyda Maria, Talavai Denipah-Cook
SOUND DESIGN: Original compositions commissioned from: QVLN Quetzal Guerreo, AudioPharmacy, Dakota Alcatrara-Camacho, Ehren Kee Natay, Esme Olivia, Randy Barton. Initial Sound Design by: Dakota Camacho, with additional support from Marc Mr. Boogie Gonzalez, John Rangel and Esme Olivia, integrating original, remixed, and graciously shared tracks by Randy Bartons The BlessingWay, AudioPharmacy, Ras K’Dee, and John Coltrane’s Naima (JowCol Music) as arranged by John Carlos Perea (Aerep Music) with rapping in Spanish by Gina Madrid, additional vocals by Esme Olivia and Natalie Benally, and additional spoken word by Deollo Johnson, Esme Olivia, Kayla Banks, Trey Pickett, Olivia Camfield. Sampling tracks which may include from esteemed artists such as Robert Mirabal with Aspen Mirabal, Kona Mirabal, Masa Mirabal; Saami singers Ethel Marja Mortensson, Elina Mikalsen, Katarina Barrruk; Tanya Tagaq Gills and Bjork; Beastie Boys; DJ Teao Sense; Tribe Called Red with John Trudell; Keith Secola, Pura Fe; voices of Bernadette Smith, Desirae Harp, Kanyon Sayers Roods; Bernadette Smith; Grace Nono; Ciera Budge; Ras K. Dee; Nina Simone; Lauryn Hill; Climbing Poetree; environmental sounds; “Wee Totaa” - Lyrics in Tongva & English by L. Frank Manriquez, music composed by L. Frank & Esme Olivia; Rainbow Bridge story as composed and recorded by Esme Olivia with support from Rulan Tangen, Incorporating voices, poems, and words by Dancing Earth artists and alumna artists and community members.
INITIAL STORY & TEXT CONSULTANTS: Ty Dafoe of Indigenous Directions, Kalani Queypo and Michael Rohd
COSTUME, ACCESSORIES, & MASKS: Connie WindWalker for animal masks, shadow puppets, accessories and costumes with additional costume items by Rulan Tangen. Randolph Duke for solar discs. Additional shadow puppets by Raven Bright
SET DESIGN: Kayo Muller and Drew Van Bruhn
MOON HEADDRESS: Susan Baker-Dillingham
2019-2022 DRAMATURGICAL AND COACHING SUPPORT: Deirdre Morris, Liz Letman, John Flax of Theater Grottesco, Michael Rohd, Layla Amis, Javon Jones, Santana Shorty
OTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This creative work arises from responses and reflections from community conversations about climate change, commodification, and colonization, and the importance of cultivating hope to mobilize body, mind, spirit and emotions at this time, individually and communally. What is the collective future that we are making? What is renewable and what is energy; what are a myriad of ways to renew eco-cultural sustainability that embraces the cultural teachings of the past from elders as well as the great imagining of the future by the younger generation? This performance work of BTW US is part of a bigger vision that includes all of us in every way!
We also want to acknowledge every Dancing Earth summer guest artist and company members who have been exploring these questions with deep conversations and creativity, as well as countless cultural and creative advisors who include: Tony Skrelunas, Camilla Trujillo, Lupita Salazar, Natalie Benally, Molly Pesata, Anne Pesata, Talavai Denipah Cook, Randle Charles, Maria Firmino Castillo, Fidel Tohil Bernal, Dr Kina Murphy, Dr Yolanda Teran Maigua, Jorge Males, Norma Diala, Leny Strobel, Marion Wasserman, Alicia Rencountre Da Silva, Valeria Alarcon, Hazel James, Teahonna James and Kevin Belin, Jonathan Sims, Jon Ray, Ibrahim Loeks, Roxanne Swentzel, Ciera Budge, Teneil Whiskeyjack, Emma Dewey, Andy Goodman, Javon Jones, Antonella Fagone, Ursula Carasco, Taraneh Sarrafzadeh and many other powerful visionaries (some of these who gathered with Dancing Earth with support from Invoking the Pause for Climate Change Trailblazers).
CAST BIOGRAPHIES, Fall Tour 2022
Rulan Tangen
Dancing Earth Founder & Artistic Director / Choreographer
Rulan Tangen Dancing Earth Founder and Artistic Director / Choreographer (Kampampangan and Pangasinan of Luzon Island in Pacific aka Philippines, and Norwegian): Rulan Tangen's work explores movement as an evolving language of global Indigenous and inter-cultural relation building, rooted in inclusion of diverse cosmologies from her own experience and those of the artists with whom she co-creates. Her contemporary dance practice strives to serve as a functional ritual for transformation and healing, integrating concurrent universes of ancient futurities in the moment, expressing energetic connection with all relations – human and beyond. As Founding Artistic Director/Choreographer of DANCING EARTH, she has passionately cultivated successive generations of global Indigenous contemporary performing artists as cultural ambassadors and conduits for social change She is recipient of 2018-19 Kennedy Center Citizen Artist award for Service, Justice, Freedom, Courage, and Gratitude and is grateful for all that roots her, for the dreaming and doing of Dancing Earth: moving the world into renewal.
Angel Guanajuato
Coming soon…
Deirdre Morris
Tech Director
Holds a masters from UC Davis and is an international performing artist, producer, dramaturge, activist, and educator. Her practice spans theatrical forms that focus on spectacle based physical theater, contemplative movement based performance and site specific installations.
Elaine Talamaivao
CALIFA Community Organizer and On Site Opening Ceremony Director
My name is Elaine Talamaivao (She/Her) I currently live, dance and provide community outreach on Cahuilla and Tongva land. Through my love of dance, I provide community opportunities for youth to share in the ancient art of storytelling through dances and languages of my ancestors stretching from Aotearoa, Samoa and Hawaii. I am working as Community Organizer for the new and incredible California project to nourish our intercultural communities in this challenging year; Dancing Earth’s Califa: RE-SToring the Source Retreat.
Esmé Olivia
Performing Artist, Teaching Artist, and Rehearsal Director
Esmé Olivia grew up in traditional Tiwa Pueblo lands known as Albuquerque, NM to a Mestiza Mexican-American mother and Dutch-Jewish father. Her blood is a peace treaty she honors through prayers of dance, poetry and song. After competing on the 2005 National Poetry Slam Champion team, she received her BA from Hampshire College in multi-disciplinary performance and arts-based education. She has worked as an artist educator with many groups in New Mexico and beyond, including the New Mexico School for the Arts and the Institute of American Indian Arts. Esmé has participated as a movement, theatre, music and teaching artist in the constellation of Dancing Earth since 2017. She lives on the Big Island of Hawai’i and in Jicarilla Apache, Pueblo and Ute terrain with her partner, where they expand on how music, dance and storytelling may seed new culture. Learn more at EsmeOlivia.com. Esme’s Dance shot by Karla Flores for Dancing Earth.
Gabriel Carrion-Gonzales
CALIFA Retreat Leader, Performing Artist, Teaching Artist
Gabriel Carrion-Gonzales is a Queer Brown Chicano male-identifying body native to the South Valley of ABQ, NM, unceded Tiwa territory. Gabriel has the resources to trace his maternal lineage to Guadalupe Hildago, MX, and Hatch, NM. His paternal lineage to Cabazone Peak, NM and Bernalillo, NM. Gabriel has spent 14 years of his 24 years of life on this Earth discovering himself as a dancer/mover/artist. Through this journey, he has learned much about light, love, body positivity, and encouraging others and himself to exist in their highest form possibly through dance and the arts.
Gabriel began his dance training in the 3rd grade at Navajo Elementary with the National Dance Institute of New Mexico's outreach program, he continued with this program 8th grade where he transitioned to study with the New Mexico Ballet Company and other local dance schools. Gabriel decided to move to Pennsylvania to study classical ballet at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for 2.5 years. He returned to New Mexico to study psychology at the University of New Mexico. Following graduation, Gabriel accepted a position with AmeriCorp working at the National Hispanic Cultural Center before transitioning to working as a residency artistic associate with the National Dance Institute of New Mexico!
Gabriel has been a part of two national artistic administration leadership cohorts (Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training mentee 2020-2021 and David Herrera Performing Companies LatinXtensions mentee 2021-2022). Gabriel serves Dancing Earth not only as an artist but also as an Executive Producer and Intercultural Impact Partner for the CALIFA Project umbrellaed under DE.
Justin Giehm
Performing Artist and Teaching Artist
Justin Giehm is a dancer, model, and aspiring actor based in Colorado, of Navajo, German and mixed heritage. At a young age, Justin began dancing by teaching himself from YouTube and later went on to teach various styles of dance, including hip hop. He became a member of Dancing Earth in 2014, joining the Summer Institute and a show called SEED with 60 community members in the Four Corners area. Later touring with Seeds Re Generation to Canada, Guahan and O’odham and Ute territories in the US, including performances at the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts and Ordway Theater. His work with Dancing Earth lead to being casted in TV series Jamestown which filmed in Europe, and in ‘Dr. Atomic’ with director Peter Sellars at Santa Fe Opera. In October 2019 and January 2020 he performed in Dancing Earth’s latest work Between Underground & Skyworld in Yelamu/San Francisco and ASU Gammage Tempe/Phoenix.
Raven Bright
Performing Artist, Teaching Artist, Social Media Intern, and Storage Master
Raven Bright is a NM based artist with 15 years of background Raven Ilm Bright, of Navajo and Anglo heritage from Gallup, New Mexico, traces his roots not only from the blood of his families, but also from the heart and soul of the HipHop and Indigenous contemporary dance communities of which he is a part. From Gallup’s Foundations of Freedom crew, he then achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Fort Lewis College. Subsequently he was selected for a full scholarship for Dancing Earth’s Summer Institute, and has been a collaborating artist on the creation of Between Underground & SkyWorld. He toured with the company to Arizona and San Francisco, as well as the company’s 2019 invitation to the Kennedy Center with the production of SEEDS REGENERATION. In 2020 he was the dance champion of the acclaimed Breaking Hearts event. When the pandemic canceled Dancing Earth’s 2020 performances, Raven has been contributing to the well-being of his community as an essential worker - for which we thank him- and we all appreciate that he can offer this dance class to Poeh to inspire others, and return him once a week to his purpose as a multi-disciplinary teaching artist. Besides his passion for dancing and visual art, Raven is also a dedicated teacher of dance, giving back to his community with workshops for Santa Fe Indian School, Navajo Prep, and six years teaching experience at Gallup’s Foundations of Freedom Dance Studio. This year, Raven is featured in the Albuquerque installment of the public television series “If Cities Could Dance,” and Covid response of dancers in unity.
Sarah Hogland-Gurule
Performing Artist, Teaching Artist , Grantwriter, and Choreographer for upcoming project
Sarah Hogland-Gurulé (she/they) is a Xicana living in Tiwa land, her ancestral homeland known as Albuquerque, NM. She is a dance artist and educator guided by the belief that dance is a form of embodied healing, remembrance and visioning; all essential tools for collective liberation. Sarah began her dance training at Keshet Dance and Center for the Arts and continued training as a pre-professional at the University of New Mexico, where she received a bachelor of arts in contemporary dance (summa cum laude) and conservation biology (magna cum laude). She has performed with MALACARNE, Pat Graney Company and CHERDONNA (Seattle, WA) in addition to Lawine Torrèn (Austria) and Yeztli Danza y Arte (Albuquerque, NM). Her solo work has been presented by the American Dance Festival’s Emerging Choreographer’s Showcase, Seattle’s Next Fest New Works, Seattle People of Color Arts Salon, Isis Women Arts and the University of New Mexico. Sarah also teaches dance to incarcerated youth and women, as well as locally in the community. She has also been a contracted artist through the City of Albuquerque as part of their inaugural CityMakers program and an artist in residence at Explora Children’s Museum. She performs regularly with Meow Wolf Santa Fe and is broadening her movement curiosities to pole dance, house dance and popping.
Dancing Earth STAFF
CO-FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Rulan Tangen
EXECUTIVE & SOUTHWEST IMPACT PRODUCER: Angel Guanajuato
EXECUTIVE & CALIFA INTERCULTURAL IMPACT PRODUCER: Gabriel Carrion-Gonzales
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Samara Smith
BOOKKEEPER: Barbara Ortega
GRANT CONSULTANT: Elizabeth Cameron
OPERATIONS CONSULTANT: Paulo Rocha-Tavares
TECH DIRECTOR: Deirdre Morris
CALIFA COMMUNITY ORGANIZER: Elaine Talamaivao