The World Premiere of Spirit & Bones, from the Sarah Bush Dance Project features an intergenerational cast of 15 dancers ranging in age from 23 to over 70.  Spirit & Bones is an evening-length production highlighting female resilience in times of darkness, the tenacity of the solo woman, and the ferocious love and strength generated by community.

L to R: Dominique Hargrove, Sue Li Jue, Courtney King Photo: Amal Bisharat

Spirit & Bones is inspired by Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ book Women Who Run with the Wolves, national large-scale protests and the movement of wolves, birds and systems of the body.  Artistic Director Sarah Bush explains, “Spirit & Bones will show the multidimensionality of women, illuminating the many stages of grace and strength.”

The cast for Spirit & Bones — dancing together for the first time — is Anne Bluethenthal, Richelle Donigan, Laura Elaine Ellis, Joanna Haigood, Dominique Hargrove, Courtney Hope, Rebecca Johnson, Courtney King, Joan Lazarus, Sue Li Jue, Elvia Marta, Priscilla Regalado, Jane Schnorrenberg, Frances Sedayao and Nina Wu.

Richelle Donigan
Photo: Amal Bisharat

“Spirit & Bones is a call to action, a call to join together and build loving community,” adds Bush. “The large cast demonstrates the power in numbers required for social change. The work also honors the women who have inspired and taught us.  It is an opportunity to reflect on how

Joanna Haigood
Photo: Lois Greenfield

we carry their legacies forward.”

Providing the original live score is the Bay Area-based band Skip the Needle, featuring five performers who lead other local bands: Kofy Brown (drums) of the Kofy Brown band, Katie Cash (guitar) of Dolorata and Year of the Fist, Shelley Doty (guitar) of the Shelley Doty X-tet, Vicki Randle (bass), formerly of The Tonight Show and currently backing Mavis Staples, and Julie Wolf (piano) music producer and renowned side-player.

Skip the Needle is the collective effort of these five bandleaders, each a lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, performer and songwriter. Lead singing duties rotate among the members while the others add background vocals. The songs are collectively written to showcase each member’s unique contributions, bringing together rock, funk, soul and fusion in an amalgam that rocks hard and is also musically diverse and complex; carries a strong, socially conscious message but wants everybody to party while hearing it. The band self describes: “If Sly Stone, Jimi

Skip the Needle

Hendrix, Chrissie Hynde and Chaka cloned a baby, this band would be the result. Skip the Needle is reckless, eclectic, fearless and fun, dedicated to love, and like nothing you’ve ever heard before.” More About Skip the Needle: facebook.com/skiptheneedle/

Spirit & Bones marks the 11th season of Sarah Bush Dance Project.
Performances are Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27 at 8pm and Sunday, October 28 at 7pm.

Buy tickets HERE>

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