Kim Epifano and her San Francisco- based company, Epiphany Productions—founded in 1997—danced at the Tutubi Plaza this year for dance anywhere® 2015. Sonic dance theater is a “genre-bending blend of dance, theater, and vocalization” in which dancers, musicians, aerialists, and actors work together to weave a story on stage.

Kim Epifano, dance anywhere® 2015

By participating in this year’s event, Kim collaborated with the wider public and improvised her performance. Improvisation brought excitement and beauty to the piece, performed in collaboration with the space and people surrounding her. Kim utilized “place itself” in the dance as well as the “people and things I felt and found there”.

Kim Epifano, dance anywhere® 2015

Props enhanced Kim’s performance as she used fabric, found objects, and sound to enliven the space.  “I brought sound”, she continued, and “the whole area and alleys” were an urban landscape that she included, like a prop, while dancing. A notable aspect of the performance was her interaction and collaboration with the homeless people in the local area. Kim says, “I danced by myself, with architecture, colors, murals, found objects—like a book—and energy.” An unexpected meeting occurred during the performance whereby Kim’s friend Gabriel, happened to wander through the space. Kim said,  “We had a great conversation. He took some photos and was into it!”

Kim Epifano, dance anywhere® 2015

Site-specific performance is intriguing to Kim as it mirrors the “spontaneity” of life. Since Kim already does such work as part of her creative practice , “dance anywhere® is like minded” and she loves “being a part of it”. She said, “…each place has it’s own personality. The action of motion, theater, and vocalization becomes a ritual and it is not about an audience but about giving and receiving what is there already in the past, the present, and the future”.

To Kim, site specific performance keeps her dance practice exciting, and dance anywhere® is an annual event that renews her dedication to public art.  “dance anywhere® keeps me going to new places even when I think I have covered the city. It has me look deeper into the very neighborhood I work in and then possibly go back to that spot to investigate”.  

For more information on Kim Epifano and Sonic Dance Theater visit her website or dance anywhere® page.