LAND: Leyya Tawil, Topher Keyes, and David Szlasa

For LAND, Dance Elixir director and choreographer Leyya Tawil teams up with media installation artist, David Szlasa, composer Topher Keyes, writer Phill Weber, costumer Leigh Anne Martin, and USF arts students to reflect on the continuous transformation of urban terrain and population.  

The work’s source materials are derived from Oakland's history, with the artists focusing on urban regeneration and sites of transformation.  During the 30-minute performance, the gallery space will be commandeered by Dance Elixir's movements, choreographed to mirror a metropolis's shifting topography — spatially, temporally, and psychically — through cycles of destruction and resurrection.

For LAND, David Szlasa created an installation that will serve as the architectural framework for the cast.  Dancers will perform within and throughout the installation as an expression of embodying the past homes, future spaces, collapsing/rebuilding structures, and the physical transformation of present reality.

About the artists

Since 1997, Leyya Tawil and Topher Keyes have collaborated on over 41 dance productions.  Tawil's Dance Elixir performs choreography that is grounded in the power, weight, and speed of the human body. Tawil's signature kinetic style has earned her a place on the SF Bay Guardian "Top 10 Choreographers to Watch in 2006" and many critical accolades. Keyes has composed original works for numerous dance companies and theater groups.  Although he composes entirely in his electronic studio, Keyes uses organic sources for all of his work. Their collaborations have been featured in numerous venues and festivals. Based in Oakland, these artists produce an annual season in San Francisco and participate in festivals and residencies regionally and nationally. Their work has been featured on WDET "Morning Edition" (Detroit), NBC-11, KRON-TV 4, KALX-FM "Women in the Arts", and on KNOE-TV 8 in Louisiana.

Monday, October 29
4 pm 
Performance with reception following