Photo courtesy of SeaBus Dance Company
Combining the art of dance with the symbolism of fabric-making has never been seen before in a full-length performance until Josh Hines, co-founder and director of SeaBus Dance Company, had an idea.
Hines, along with the fellow co-founders and fully-staffed dancers, created a new performance that would be able to “weave” together ideas, movement, people and emotion into one production, LOOM, set to hit the stage this weekend at three notable venues around Columbus. Dancers describe the show as a diverse piece featuring texture, layers and frequent repetition – and they say they couldn’t be more excited.
Specifically, the show will it hit home for a lot of the dancers on a metaphorical level. Not only is LOOM a space for dancers from around the world to show off their talent, it is a production that brings families, communities and people together again.
This show will follow their recent performance, Indigo, which highlighted the ongoing theme of fabric-making by showcasing the history of making indigo, a common dark blue dye used to color clothing. While in Seattle, dancers got the opportunity to watch documentaries about the entire process from start to finish. Some pieces and memorable moments from the things they watched are featured in LOOM, as well as some of their own individual ideas and perspectives.
Photo courtesy of SeaBus Dance Company
According to their website, the thing about SeaBus that makes it unlike any other dance company is the shared love for human connection, which is the spark that brought LOOM to life. Dancers and directors participated in strenuous research and discussion about the nature and attitude of the performance before dancers even started to practice the choreography.
SeaBus Dance Company is a relatively new organization, having opened in summer 2016. The company strives to bring together dancers from Seattle, Wash. and Columbus, bringing together the “Sea” in Seattle and the “Bus” in Columbus for its name. The company made its debut in Seattle with Indigo in June 2017, and will debut in Columbus with LOOM.
LOOM runs Oct. 27-29 in downtown Columbus, Franklinton and Clintonville. On Oct. 27 at 8 p.m., see LOOM at the Art of Yoga, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. at MadLab Theatre and Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. at Flux + Flow Dance and Movement Center. Tickets are priced at $10-18, depending on the venue, and can be bought online or at the door. For more information about SeaBus Dance Company or the performance, visit: www.seabusdance.com.
Tessa Flattum is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
