VANTAGE
A project addressing xenophobia, race, and promoting advocacy through dance.
“The dancing was incredible throughout with a quality of movement that
was both intricate and powerful”.
Emma Rubinowitz ODC Review of VANTAGE
“The exquisite mix of extremely high level of craft, expressing the tenderest
and fiercest of emotions was breathtaking.”
Kaila Flexer, violinist/composer
“Show brought me to tears….a wonderful journey for the soul and mind”
audience viewer
VANTAGE sits at the intersection of movement, cultural identity, and most importantly: social justice. The experimental work, VANTAGE, incorporated dance-for-the-camera, storytelling, and live panel discussions from four distinct racial viewpoints (Asian American, African American, Latinx, and European Causacian/Mixed Race).
Through an emphasis on the position from where we view, we highlight how we have different cultural responses towards our experiences depending on from where we gaze. This study of gaze, specifically how we engage with live art in a post-COVID world, reveals the impact of what we see when we look at each other in a multi-racial/multicultural nation.
VANTAGE was delivered in three formats: dance-for-camera, live performance, and panel discussions at outreach events. Collaboration among the artists will allow comprehensive input from the racially diverse company dancers.
VANTAGE incorporates an outreach program, focusing on building a coalition of local partners - schools, community centers, social service providers, chambers, heritage clubs, cultural centers, tutoring / enrichment programs - that prioritize our BIPOC community’s needs. Panel discussions featuring a showcase of the work (through live performance or film excerpts of the work), with a curated roster of social justice advocates, educators, and project artists are key to the project. Invited guests from the partnering organization(s) and recommendations from their network, as well as a rotating selection of ZiRu’s coalition and artistic team, comprise each panel. Discussions will be moderated and encourage candid conversation on how to thrive in a multi-racial community.