Deborah Birrane Dance presents Home, an evening of solo dance and poetry celebrating the life of dancer Kate Lounsbury, my close friend and Rehearsal Director.
It wasn't until after Kate's death that I learned the extent of her solo career as a dancer. Why she kept this private until her death, I'll never understand. The videos I watched after her passing reveal a stunning dancer, as passionate as she was beautiful, performing each dance with a life unto itself. I suppose I don't need to know why… Show more she kept her work to herself, but luckily she left behind a wonderful legacy of her work. Now having seen the choreography Kate danced as well as Kate, herself, performing I can see clearly how we are soul-sisters of the dance, so much alike in energy, focus, and intention. It's exciting!
HOME: Leaning On A Moment Left Behind is tribute to Kate's dancing and her life, and traces Kate's development from her roots in San Diego to her new home in Seattle.
The entire program of Home is a gift from the Choreographers who created dances for Kate and/or set dances on her for her solo concert in San Diego in 1989. The concert is also a gift from Kate to me as she is "present here" via the videos I am watching to learn her works. In them I get to see what Kate has taught me, and it gives me the opportunity to see Kate dancing as she preached, which richly deepens what I continue to learn from her now. You, my audience, are gifted with these funny, fun, quirky, touching, passionate dances! May they resonate with you so that you then spread the good energy out to others. Coming full circle, I will share this concert with Kate's friends and colleagues from her early days in San Diego. Dance is the gift that keeps on giving!
I am thrilled and honored to be learning the works of Carl Yamamoto, Patricia Sandback, Cate Bell and Kate! And I hope Kate is ready for this - we're doing a duet! Nothing fancy but video will be involved. Also on the program is my work and the wind cried. It was my first solo in which Kate was intrinsically involved as my rehearsal director and she travelled with me to coach me through its performance in Yugoslavia.
Kate passed away from cancer in October 2013. When she she realized her cancer was terminal, Kate made the decision to close her life on her terms on a date she decided upon. With a deadline - Kate appreciated the pressure of a deadline - she had time with her family of origin (namely Lynn and Sammie who live in France) as well as time with her family of choice. Her family of choice was by her side on the day that she drank her final cocktail and bid us adieu until we meet again. But although cancer was the disease that ended Kate's life, it was her daily battle with diabetes that most profoundly affected her life, for better and for worse. To honor her struggle with diabetes, we are giving $.05 on every dollar raised to the Diabetes Research Foundation, where Kate received so much help from the local chapter here in Seattle.
This concert event has something for everybody! Let us come together, for Together, we can bring this project to it's fullest potential!
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