March 23, 2023 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Local Artists Relay American Roots in Dance at The Miles:

By Samuel Harwood

Cross country travel is one of America’s cultural staples, especially in Santa Monica, the end of Route 66. Novels and films reinforce this fact, but it’s not every day that the story of such a trip is relayed through dance. Then again, Santa Monica is not a place for the everyday.

In the summer of 2015, dance instructor and former chair of Santa Monica’s Arts Commission Suchi Branfman and her daughter Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, also an artist, toured 30 states as part of a seven-week mobile residency called Rooted America, hoping to explore communities that have withstood oppression, both historically and currently.

Branfman choreographed her take-away from that trip into a dance performed at the Miles Playhouse on February 19th and 20th.

“I’m interested in [telling] multiple stories, looking at points of cultural resistance and survival,” Branfman told The Mirror.

“I want to tell stories of people who’ve survived through continuity of culture, as well as I’m interested in issues of power that run through the history of our country,” she said.

Branfman’s dance, which was performed by current and former students as well as her daughter, incorporated Native American movements, audience interactions, and visual and spoken word pieces, relaying different stories heard throughout the residency.

An especially powerful segment involved two dancers moving as Branfman read the transcript of Sandra Bland’s arrest in South Texas.

Two other dances opened the evening leading up to Branfman’s. The first, choreographed and performed by renowned dancers Roxanne Steinberg and Oguri, was built around slow movements and performed mostly without music. The second by young LA-based dancer Tom Tsai, called “A Calm Place At Sea,” strung together a series of hands dances, exploring the boundaries between Breaking and Modern Dance.

“I thought all the work had something to do with how we exist together,” Branfman, who curated the entire evening, said. “How we as humans live together and treat each other.”

For more events at the Miles head to smgov.net/Departments/CCS/MilesPlayhouse.

in News
Related Posts

Gasolina Cafe Owner, Sandra Cordero, to Open New Tapas Bar in Santa Monica

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Tapas bar expected to open late spring in former Heroic Italian space at 516 Santa Monica Boulevard  Sandra Cordero, the...

California’s AB 1217 Could Supersede Costly Outdoor Dining Permits Proposed by Municipalities

March 22, 2023

March 22, 2023

Legislation would preempt local ordinances and preserve regulatory flexibility for struggling neighborhood restaurants By Sam Catanzaro A new bill proposed...

Emerging Artist Jesse Liu Opens First-Ever Exhibition in Venice Gallery

March 22, 2023

March 22, 2023

“Spring Fever” currently on display at Yiwei Gallery By Keemia Zhang Local artist Jesse Liu has opened her first solo...

Santa Monica Place Invites LGBTQIA+ Artisans to Apply for Made With PRIDE Marketplace

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Partnering with Streetlet, the marketplace will take place each weekend in June and showcase local goods made in Southern California....

Santa Monica Councilmember Phil Brock Appointed to National League of Cities Council on Youth, Education, and Families

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Brock to collaborate with group of local leaders to develop and guide programs for communities across the country Santa Monica...

Santa Monica Receives $70,000 Donation From Kiwanis Charities for Scoreboards in Two Parks

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Donation will fund the installation of new scoreboards at Historic Belmar Park and Los Amigos Park The Santa Monica City...

Should Santa Monica Close the Airport?

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Santa Monica City Council recently voted to begin the process of closing Santa Monica Municipal Airport. The decision was kick-started...

City Council Puts Plan for Use of Parking Lots for Affordable Housing in Motion

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Sites are located at 1217 Euclid Street, 1211-1217 14th Street and 1146 16th Street By Dolores Quintana ​​During the Santa...

Santa Monica Warns Residents of Crypto Ponzi Scheme

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

City says 30 + households in Santa Monica have reported being victimized by CryptoFX, LLC Over 30 households in Santa...

Man Arrested for Sexual Assaults Targeting Homeless Victims

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

Anthony Pittman faces rape charges in connection to series of sexual assaults A West Hollywood man has been arrested in...

SMa.r.t. Column: Going Bare

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

(part 3 of 3 articles) Every City faces periodic interruptions to its normal life. Some interruptions in our City are...

Santa Monica Mall Owner, Macerich, Finds Way Out of Retail Property Crisis

March 19, 2023

March 19, 2023

Move comes amidst a crisis for retail property owners, with loans coming due for refinancing with much higher interest rates...

Historic Santa Monica Property “The Witbeck House” Listed for Sale at $22.5M

March 19, 2023

March 19, 2023

Greene & Greene-designed home features 26,000+ square foot lot with five bedroom home A historic property known as The Witbeck...

New Affordable Housing Complex Completed in Santa Monica’s Pico Neighborhood

March 18, 2023

March 18, 2023

Las Flores offers 73 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments at 1834-1848 14th Street By Sam Catanzaro Community Corp. of Santa...

Are You Staying in Santa Monica Over the Summer?

March 17, 2023

March 17, 2023

Spring is officially here, which means summer is just around the corner. Santa Monica residents, what are your travel plans...