|
    
| |
  
 Mission
Statement...
Our mission as a dance
company is to create and perform original choreography based on the
ancient practices of hatha yoga that conveys the joy and inner awareness
of yoga and speaks to an audience in search of a serene and meditative
theatrical experience.
Yoga Garden Dancers
Artistic Director—Gay White
Company History...
The Yoga Garden Dancers
is a group of dancers, yogis, and musicians who have been working since
1991 to create and perform dance and theater pieces inspired by the
ancient art of hatha yoga. The company premiered its first full-length
work in 1993 and until 2000 they presented new choreography every year
at such venues as Cowell Theater, Julia Morgan Theater, and
International Yoga Conventions as well as yoga studios, community
centers, gardens, parks, and other small theaters in the greater Bay
Area.
Since 1994, the Yoga
Garden Dancers has commissioned original music and shared the stage with
live musicians. Past musical collaborations have included
composers/musicians Miguel Frasconi, Stephen Kent, and Eda Maxine.
Our dance/theater pieces are based on the ancient art of Hatha yoga
and expose audiences to a creative and unique dance form that draws upon
varying disciplines such as Tai Chi, and modern dance as well as yoga.
The theatrical productions have received critical acclaim both for the
focus and strength of the dancers, and the sculptural elegance and
lighthearted humor of the choreography.
After studying yoga in
India and continuing to develop her work as a teacher and retreat
leader, Gay began new work in 2007. The Yoga Garden Dancers is now
composed of twenty dancers and four musicians.
2008 Performances - October to
December
The Yoga Garden Dancers
are currently at work on a new suite of dances to be premiered in
November 2008. A theatrical venue has yet to be secured but we plan
informal showings in San Francisco, Marin, the East Bay, Santa Cruz, and
Taos, New Mexico. Gay is collaborating with pianist and songwriter
Rachel Efron (rachelefron.com). As music director for the project and a
practicing yogini, Rachel will appear on stage with the dancers.
In these new dances we
are exploring:
Working with performers who
have no formal dance training or performance experience but are
accomplished in the art of yoga to the extent that their stage presence
speaks in a serenely powerful way. Many have commented on the peace of
mind and open heart one feels after a performance, either as an audience
member or performer.
Creating ensemble work that
is informed by an intense inner awareness. This provides a sense of
focus for both the performers and the audience. Because of this
approach, which is integral to the yoga tradition, the performances are
imbued with a state of mind or presence that communicates itself to the
audience. Most of the people present experience some level of this
energized and yet relaxed feeling, thus making the experience
participatory.
Creating meditative
performance art, as a movement painting or moving sculpture, the work
brings a painterly composition to the stage, naturally including light
and shadow in the visual frame.
In summary, the new work
is an experimental divergence from the loud, violent imagery we are
often subjected to when we attend a performance that may be cathartic
for the creator but is stressful for the audience. We will explore the
states of mind and physical energy that arise from this ancient art and
how they translate into dance and theater. The focus of the
choreographic vision is informed and inspired by the beauty of nature
rather than the dramas and psychological considerations of personality
and relationship.
About our Founder
& Artistic Director...
Gay White studied dance
composition and improvisation at Naropa Institute in the 1970s and
choreography in the 1980s with Margaret Jenkins, Brenda Way, and Wendy
Rogers. She has been making dances since 1975. A longtime member of the
Wendy Rogers Dance Company and later, in collaboration with Leigh Evans,
she choreographed
The Egg Dance, a four-year project of ten dances performed
in San Francisco at Footworks Theater and Theater Artaud.
In 1992, Gay founded the
Yoga Garden Dancers, a group of dancers and yogis who perform her
choreography. She created five evening-length works of original dance
with original musical scores.
Since 1989 Gay has been
teaching yoga and an innovative blend of dance and yoga called Yoga
Movement both locally and abroad. She is currently on the faculty of the
Yoga Room Advanced Studies Program in Berkeley, CA and teaches classes,
workshops, and retreats internationally.
“What distinguishes Gay’s work with yoga movement is her extension of
yoga into the realm of performance and her emphasis on the importance
and power of doing yoga movement in a group rather than as an individual
practice or solo performance.”
The Yoga Journal,
1995
 Take a Look Around our Website
We invite you to explore our website. Our philosophy and background can be
found in Photos & Philosophy or take a
look at programs of Past Performances. The
Yoga Garden Dancers are a non-profit dance company and depend upon your support
to bring our art to the community. For more information, go to Donations
& Support. We are currently developing a new production and would be
grateful for your support to help underwrite this unique merger of the ancient
practice of yoga and modern dance in 2008. Thank you for
your interest and support.
|
yogagarden.org
- the website of Gay White & the Yoga Garden Dancers 