Santa Barbara Dance Theater Presents ‘A Place for Us’

Artistic Director Brandon Whited Stages Emotional and Thought-Provoking Dances at UCSB

‘A Place For Us’ production by Santa Barbara Dance Theater | Photo: Jeff Liang

An oasis of vibrant dance culture on the Central Coast performance landscape, Santa Barbara sets a tasteful backdrop for artists to take the stage. UC Santa Barbara has capitalized on this notion with commissions from its performance company — Santa Barbara Dance Theater (SBDT).

In honor of SBDT’s 48th anniversary season, Artistic Director Brandon Whited has arranged his rendition of A Place for Us. The performance will feature two of his works developed and revised, along with a restaging of guest choreographer Nicole Powell’s A Warm Window. Centered around acute societal discourses, A Place for Us intends to provoke timely reflection and offer reprieve amid remarkable sociopolitical strife.

Powell’s piece is a personal reflection on the struggles, joys, and complexities of what constitutes life as a human being. It is a raw and vulnerable celebration of humanity and its imperfections. The piece features solitary scenes in order to emphasize how even strength and joy are rooted in the darker emotions.

Whited’s HER revisits the same powerful themes from its initial performance in 2022, this time with reenvisioned lighting design by UCSB Studio Professor Vickie Scott and innovative projection design by design student Elijah Frankle. The performance grapples with the reality of female struggles for bodily autonomy and invasive injustice.

‘A Place For Us’ production by Santa Barbara Dance Theater | Photo: Jeff Liang

The piece was developed in collaboration with the dancers to include their artistic visions and voices within these parameters. The resulting performance depicts durational group partnering focused around the theme of giving and receiving support.

Miles to Go, premiered last year, is also reframed in the new artistic design of Scott and Frankle. It is underscored with music by composer Michael Wall, drawing from the lived experiences of Whited and participating performers from the original work. By utilizing duet form and interactive sound, the piece illustrates the violence and discrimination tormenting the LGBTQ+ community.

The performances will run November 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m., as well as November 16 and 17 at 2 p.m., at UCSB’s Hatlen Theater. Tickets can be purchased online at theaterdance.ucsb.edu/news/event/1072, at the UCSB Theater box office, or by calling (805) 893-2064.