Photoshoot on the subway station

Gretchen Garnett and Kelly Bowker are two amazing artists who I have had the opportunity of working with, in the past. Dancing and choreographing together and being part of each others' visions, we decided to collaborate to produce our own show which will be on April 8-9, 2011 in CounterPULSE in San Francisco.

Among the other logistics came the photo shoot. We figured that it would be nice to have pictures of all of us together, representing the new project, rather than yoking together individual pictures. Gretchen suggested the BART station as the venue. The BART is such a big part of any San Francisco and even Bay Area commuters' life. Impeccably dressed office workers, people making beautiful music for mere pennies, students, homeless people, people going for games and concerts and factory workers, can all be seen on a BART station.

So the venue was finalized and so was the photographer, Kevin Wong. Then we decided that we would wear dresses and heels; what better juxtaposition to the grittiness of the BART station? So the shoot took place among dust and grime, flashing train signs, announcements and the motion of the moving trains. We hung from railings, leaned against the walls, jumped off the sitting area, lay on the platform. People did stare but then, it was San Francisco!

The shoot culminated in some gorgeous pictures and a fabulous experience. There is something so special about taking dance outside the proscenium and into the heart of a city. The beauty of art nestled within the mundane everyday world of the transport system. It would be interesting to bring that grittiness to dance as well.