Emily Johnson

“I view our bodies as everything: our bodies are culture, history, present and future, all at once.”— Emily Johnson

Dance expands beyond the confines of a theater to embrace Seattle in this multi-day performance which incorporates dance, story, volunteerism, and feasting by Native Alaskan artist Emily Johnson.

Over the course of a week, from October 11 – 18, 2015, SHORE in Dᶻidᶻelaľic̆/Dkhw'Duw'Absh (Seattle) will include performances that begin outdoors and end in the theater, volunteer actions in partnership with community organizations, a curated reading by Native American local authors, and a festive, culminating potluck/feast. SHORE celebrates meeting places such as land and water, performance and audience, art and community, and past, present and future.

SHORE will unfold in four parts:

Performance | Oct 15 – 17 | 8pm | OtB | BUY TICKETS
The heart of the project, a multi-layered dance piece featuring community singers, movers and visiting artists. We will begin outside On the Boards then walk together into the theater. BUY TICKETS

SHORE in Dᶻidᶻelaľic̆/Dkhw'Duw'Absh (Seattle) features: Aretha Aoki, Margot Bassett, Emily Johnson, Krista Langberg, Julia Bither, The SHORE Choir, and a large local cast of dancers. Directed by Ain Gordon.

The Seattle SHORE Choir: Colin Ernst, Colleen McNeary, Kate Pope, Nikolai Lesnikov, Rachel Kessler, Rafael/a Luna-Pizano, Roldy Ablao, Shannon Adkins, Maria Hernandez. The Seattle Large Cast: Annamarie Bustion, Arlene Martin, Ella Mahler, Sabina Moe, Erin Johnson, Hilary Bowen, Kate O'Day, Lindsey Palmquist, LindsyAnne Owen, Petra Zanki.

MAP AND DIRECTIONS:
SHORE in Dᶻidᶻelaľic̆/Dkhw'Duw'Absh (Seattle) will begin at 8pm a block away from OtB (see map below) with an outdoor performance with local singers and dancers. We will all take a ritual walk together back to the theater, where you can take your seats.

TICKET HOLDERS:
Please bring your tickets to the outdoor performance; if you do not have them in hand, you will be able to pick them up at the mainstage lobby box office. For ADA related questions, please contact the OtB Box Office.

Story | Oct 11 | 7pm | Hugo House | FREE
Local writers share their original work relating to home, place and land in this curated reading at Hugo House. RSVP

Community Action | Oct 12 | Daybreak Star | FREE
Join us for Seattle's Second Annual Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration. We will celebrate with Aztec dancers, Tlinigit singers, round dancing and more! The nature of the event was determined through our Community Visioning Session. RSVP

Feast | Oct 18 | 2-6pm | Daybreak Star | FREE
SHORE culminates in a festive potluck along the water. Participants are invited to bring their own dishes to share. RSVP

Emily Johnson is an artist who makes body-based work. Originally from Alaska, she is of Yup’ik descent and her cultural heritage is a constant in her choreography. Her performances often function as installations, interacting with a place’s architecture, history, and role in community. She blurs distinctions between performance and daily life and creates material that reveals and respects multiple perspectives.

In 2014 Johnson received a prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award and is a 2015 Artist in Residence at Williams College. SHORE is the third in a trilogy of works that began with the New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” award-winning The Thank You Bar and continued with the ten-city tour of Niicugni.

SHORE is supported by the OtB Performance Production Program.