Stewart/Owen Dance
By Emma Castleberry
In 2020, when all performing arts venues closed, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts was seeking ways to stay connected to patrons and support performing artists. Wortham contacted Gavin Stewart and Vanessa Owen, co-artistic directors of Stewart/Owen Dance, and asked them to create a piece that could be performed outdoors. “The result was a stunning performance that was presented drive-in style, featuring a live band, in the parking lot of the Asheville Outlet Mall,” says Wortham Center’s managing director Rae Geoffrey. “The heart-rending experience of dancers performing on asphalt, in masks, in summer heat, with audience members watching from cars and socially distanced chairs, is one of my strongest memories of those dark days of the early shut down. It was also a wonderful discovery and a silver-lining opportunity to collaborate with Stewart/Owen to create a mutually beneficial partnership.”
Stewart/Owen Dance
Stewart/Owen Dance is now Wortham’s first resident dance company. Stewart and Owen’s choreography has been presented by festivals and companies across the US and the pair landed in North Carolina in 2017. “Wortham Center has allowed us to have a home where we can nurture this community’s passion for dance, host classes and performances, and make deeper connections with our neighbors,” says Stewart.
Wortham Center is also commissioning a work by Stewart/Owen Dance—another first-time endeavor for the Center. “The final piece will truly be a unique and deep collaboration between our local community and artists,” says Geoffrey. The piece, which has the current working title Again for the First Time, is broadly inspired by the human life cycle. The premier will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22, at 8 p.m. Pre-show discussions with Stewart and Owen will take place at 7 p.m. both days in the Henry LaBrun Studio. In addition to the evening performances, Stewart/Owen Dance will perform as part of the Wortham’s Student Series on April 21 at 10 a.m.; this performance is open to the public and recommended for grades 4-12. On Saturday, April 22, Stewart/Owen Dance will present an open level, 90-minute dance workshop for ages 16 and older at 11 a.m. in Henry LaBrun Studio.
In addition to the commissioned work, the evening program will include Silver Spoon, a duet investigating luxury, privilege and inequality; What Remains, a reimagining of the piece created during the pandemic and performed at the Asheville Outlet Mall; and Memory Affair, a piece exploring nostalgia and escapism. “Our pursuit is to enrich the lives of our community by igniting their passion for dance through live performance, creative exploration and open-access dance education,” says Owen. “We envision WNC as a place where professional dance artists can root, thrive and contribute to this vibrant community.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit WorthamArts.org/events/stewart-owen-dance.
