Performances and Contemporary Dance Workshops with Visiting Guest Artists Tracy Kofford and Santa Barbara City College Dance Company Charlotte Katherine Smith and Company Fran Spector Atkins and SpectorDance Company
About King City Dance Week After SpectorDance's highly successful performances of Ocean Trilogy, Jeff Hindersheid of Sol Treasures and Fran Spector Atkins of SpectorDance are thrilled to expand their collaboration with the 1st King City Dance Week.
KIng City Dance Week will present an enriching program of magical dance performances and contemporary movement workshops for high school, elementary and middle school students in King City and the surrounding areas. We envision that King City Dance Week will become an annual event.
Tracy R. Kofford's choreography is characterized by its innovative blend of movement, emotion, and storytelling. Drawing from a variety of dance styles, his work often incorporates modern dance technique alongside elements of ballet and contemporary, creating a unique and dynamic aesthetic. Kofford’s choreography emphasizes the connection between dancers and their environment, utilizing space, dynamics, and intricate formations to engage audiences on multiple levels.
His pieces often explore themes of identity, transformation, and the human experience, inviting viewers to connect with the narratives presented through movement. Kofford's attention to detail and commitment to character development allow for powerful performances that resonate deeply. With a focus on collaboration, he frequently works with dancers to bring their individual expressions and strengths into his pieces, resulting in performances that are both personal and universally relatable. Overall, Tracy R. Kofford’s choreography is a rich tapestry of movement that captivates and inspires.
SBCC Dance Company is a dynamic and innovative ensemble dedicated to the art of dance. Based at Santa Barbara City College, the company showcases a diverse range of styles, including contemporary, modern, ballet, and jazz, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of the community. With a focus on creativity and collaboration, SBCC Dance Company provides a platform for both emerging and established choreographers to present their work. The company emphasizes the importance of education in the arts, offering students invaluable performance experience while promoting artistic growth. Through regular performances and community outreach, SBCC Dance Company aims to inspire audiences and foster a love for dance in all its forms. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, the company continues to be a vital part of the Santa Barbara cultural scene.
Charlotte Katherine Smith is a Los Angeles-based choreographer, dance artist, award-winning filmmaker, and arts educator. She is the Artistic Director of Charlotte Katherine & Co. and the pre-professional Veritas Dance Company. Her work provides escapist and cathartic spaces for processing our human experiences. Charlotte’s multidisciplinary collaborative live theatrical and digital creations have been presented nationally and internationally.
"Her fierce conviction, untamed red hair wildly raging and her feral use of the space under the hot spots, got away from the normal contemporary fare, and into a freedom that kept my attention in rapt wonderment and thankful recognition that there are some who actually invent." - Joanne DeVito for LA Dance Chronicle.
dancer Charlotte Katherine Smith, photo by Denise Leitner
For over 30 years, SpectorDance Company has presented issue-based multidisciplinary works using a signature style that blends visual media, verbal material, and music with dance. SpectorDance works address some of today’s most pressing socio-economic topics such as climate change, gang violence and juvenile justice, agricultural history, military family sacrifice and more.
Each SpectorDance project begins with the selection of a topic about a critical social issue that affects our community. We then embark upon extensive research and seek out experts in the field to interview. Once these interviews have been collected and recorded, selected sound bites are woven in with related visual images and a music mix. Finally, dancers explore movements that physically express the concepts covered and their responses to them. In this way, we believe that our artistic practice can inform and communicate in new and powerful ways.
Every project is unique, and involves SpectorDance forging meaningful partnerships with a wide variety of outstanding non-arts organizations. Past collaborators include the United Farm Workers, Monterey Aquarium Research Institute and Rancho Cielo, an award-winning vocational training program for at-risk young adults. These partnerships enable us to delve into socially-relevant topics from firsthand perspectives, reach broader audiences, and translate facts and empirical information into a dynamic art experience. Innovative engagement programs that bring dance, artistry and education to the community are also associated with each project. Our works employ dance to inform, heal, transform, build community and inspire action.
dancers Kelsey Forbush and Gabrial Mata, photo by Wlliam Roden
"On behalf of Sol Treasures, we are delighted to welcome back the amazing talent of Fran Spector Atkins, and the SpectorDance Company to South Monterey County for the inaugural King City Dance Week.
Mark your calendar now for this once in a lifetime experience of Performances and Contemporary Dance Workshops with guest artists." Jeff Hendersheid, Executive Director of Sol Treasures
Thank you to our Major funders: The Arts Council for Monterey County, Harden Foundation and Monterey County Gives.
THANK YOU to all our DONORS! We could not do this with out you!