April 28, 2023
Dear BEACON Family,
Welcome back to the Palladium–our beautiful home for professional local dance! We’re so grateful to join you in celebrating extraordinary local dance artists in our eighth season.
BEACON23 features three premieres, a site-specific work, a critically acclaimed film, and a celebration of dance photographer Tom Kramer’s incredible contributions to our community. Between the performers onstage and those featured in Tom’s artwork, fifty-one artists have contributed their brilliance (and sweat!) to tonight’s experience.
Please join us downstairs in The Side Door after the show. We’d love to toast you–our beloved audience–and BEACON’s incredible artists.
With love,
Photo credits left to right: Tom Kramer, Sorcha Augustine Photography
BEACON 2023 Program
hot gold
Directed by
Heidi Brewer
Sound Score
Ajani Brannum
Filming
Christopher Spatafora
Editing
Sharon McCaman
Costumes
Heidi Brewer, Sharon McCaman
Collaborators
Ajani Brannum, Talia Demps, Kirsten Standridge
My favorite time of day is the golden hour. It’s a comfort that every day, without fail, the sun sets -- whether I witness it or not. Natural cycles happen whether we see them or not — they self-sustain, they self-activate, they collaborate with other dependably ongoing cycles. Is it just when they are witnessed that they become a spectacle?
Maelstrom
Choreography
Sarah Walston
Music
Mary Lattimore; Donato Dozzy, Anna Caragnano
Costumes
Sarah Walston
Collaborators
Katherine Acosta, Ethan Barbee, Cynthia Clark, Baylie Dockins, Andrés Castillo Gomez, Lilia Castillo Gomez, Troy Martin, Drew Robinson
“Maelstrom” is centered around the concept of a state of mental chaos. The piece looks at how a constant stream of thoughts can cause mismatched ideas and images to emerge in a rapid succession. Each of these elements may be fleeting or more deeply attached to our identity as we sort through our own spiraling thoughts. “Maelstrom” is an excerpt from the evening length work “Ghost in the Black Jacket”, which deals with the way we form our sense of self and unique identity.
The Dinner Table
Choreography
Sarah Emery
Music
Ecce Cello
Costumes
Sarah Emery and Aaron Nedrick
Collaborators
Pictures In Productions, Sarah Emery, Aaron Nedrick
The Dinner Table is an intimate look at a relationship unraveled by political differences. (2018)
INTERMISSION
Celebrating Collaboration
Tom Kramer’s Photography
Video by:
Sheila Cowley
A joyful gathering of Tom Kramer's dance and theatre photography, in honor of the much-loved gentleman artist so many creatives had the privilege of collaborating with.
Tom Kramer Performance Photography from Sparks Collaborative Ensemble on Vimeo.
Imperfect Joys
Created and Performed By
Helen Hansen French and John C. O’Leary III
PAUSE
r up t u re
ap ture
(pronounced Rupture/ You are Rapture)
Choreography
Alexander Jones
Music
Johann Sebastian Bach “Jesu, Meine Freude, BWV 227”
Costume Designer
Iky Standridge
Collaborators
Heidi Brewer, Talia Demps, Alexander Jones, Evan Smith, and Kirsten Standridge
Whispers, another way to be, severed from the cord, steeped in a great beyond…
projectALCHEMY is an international dance+ company based in St. Petersburg, Florida, engaging the dance community and local audiences through immersive interdisciplinary performance, affordable movement classes and dance artist development opportunities. We share the artistic talent of our community through live performance and online exchanges with dance companies around the world.
BEACON 2023 was made possible by the generous support of
Presenting Partner
Tom & Sally Baynard
Paul Carder
Hal Freedman & Willi Rudowsky
John & Mary Ellen Collins
Paula Kramer
Helen & Mark Raczkowski
Elizabeth & Nupur Dalal
The Staff & Crew of The Palladium
BEACON Technical Crew
Evelyn Marie Twitty
Stage Manager
Christopher Spatafora
Lighting Designer
Michael Rivera
Performance Audio Manager
Danny Piechocki
Asst. Lighting Designer
