Hailed for its lyricism, theatricality and emotional intensity, the STEPHEN PELTON DANCE THEATER is now in its 12th year of presenting work in the Bay Area. The company’s work tells inspiring, human stories through narrative, emotionally-driven dance and theater. Their use of dynamic movement to depict charged human situations gives their work its depth and character, grounding it in a visceral reality that creates a common bond between performer and audience. SPDT's dances are haunting and evocative works that explore the physical and psychological circumstances of their inhabitants. In addition to his work for his own company, Pelton has also choreographed for Ballet Central of London. “The dancing was so exciting, strong, and meticulous that I just sat back and grinned at the superheroes onstage, thrashing, bounding, commanding, and riding the wave of movement, movement, movement." (SF Bay Guardian)

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As a two-time recipient of the Korean National Composers Prize and the Asian American Arts Foundation Fellowship, composer HYO-SHIN NA has had her music performed worldwide; at festivals and concert series in her native country of Korea as well as throughout Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. Her works have been performed by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Earplay, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Chamber Symphony, New Music Works, Music Now, and the Stanford and Del Sol String Quartets, and have been broadcast on NPR, the BBC, Korean Broadcasting System, German Radio and Belgian Radio. Her solo piano music has been performed by
renowned pianists Thomas Schultz, Sarah Cahill, and Yuji and Aki Takahashi. During their 1998-1999 season, the Kronos Quartet commissioned and performed Ms. Na’s “Song of the Beggars”.

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Indian percussion ensemble TABLA RASA was formed in the fall of 1996 by co-directors, Tim Witter and Jim Santi Owen. Basing their original and traditional compositions on their collective years of training under the guidance of tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, the members of the group have also drawn upon the inspiration of master South Indian percussionists T.H. Subash Chandran and K. Sekar. Tabla Rasa has performed in India and the US with Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and T.H. Subash Chandran, as well as with Hamza el Din, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Omar Sosa, and John Santos. They were co-recipients of an Isadora Duncan Award for their work with acclaimed choreographer, Alonzo King.

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JENNIFER WRIGHT COOK is a freelance performer/choreographer/teacher based in Brooklyn and San Francisco. She is currently a member of the Madrid-based dance/theater company "y" which commissioned and premiered her solo work, “Terror Alert: Elevated: Orange...” in 2004. From 1998 through 2004 Wright Cook performed and toured nationally and internationally with the Joe Goode Performance Group. She has performed in the works of Rowena Richie, Lizz Roman, Randee Paufve, Erika Shuch & Kent Nicholson, Mark Swetz & Nadia Adame, Lea Wolf, Ashley Hayes & Brian Chung, and Lenora Lee.

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