If dance is the universal language, no one is exemplifying it more than Santa Barbara’s Nebula Dance Lab.
Devyn Duex, Nebula Dance Lab’s founder, president, and artistic director, is currently trying to raise $10,000 for the Nebula members to visit Santiago and Valparaiso, Chile, and provide wellness outreach through free yoga, Pilates, nutrition, and dance classes. The trip is a collaboration between Nebula, the FEDES Foundation, and the Free Wheelchair Mission, a charity that provides wheelchairs to those in disadvantaged cultures.
This Saturday, Nebula will be the beneficiary of Variety United, a variety-show series presented by EBF Productions that features singing, dancing, and musical performances to benefit different nonprofit groups. Gitte, the director and producer of Variety United, said she was attracted to Nebula because of its philanthropic work, as well as the caliber of its choreography.
Duex describes a new work, tentatively titled “Trees,” as an exploration of the “historical and current struggles of humanity through the eyes of trees, inspired by [their] history and mythology.” This Saturday’s Variety United performance will include a preview of “Trees,” which the company will not officially debut until the fall.
The fundraiser kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 13 at the Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High School (721 E. Cota St.). The lobby opens at 6 p.m. with artists, vendors, and information on nonprofit charities. Call (805) 963-6440 or visit nebuladance.org for info.