richien (Rowena Richie & Jennifer Chien)

Twindependent

MAR 21-30, THU-SAT at 8PM
FREE pre-show workshops with richien MAR 23 & 30, SAT from 4-6PM*
Post-show dance-back with Miriam Wolodarski MAR 22 & 29, FRI

Inspired by both the scientific and metaphorical implications of twinship, Twindependent is a new dance theater piece incorporating live music and interactive video projection. What does it mean to be a pair? To be similar, the same, to be different? Twindependent looks for answers through movement-based interdisciplinary exploration, cheap blonde wigs, and the energizing dynamic of collaboration. Original songs are performed with handclaps, ukulele, guitar, accordion and looping as live scores for video pieces. The boundaries between live and recorded performance are intentionally blurred, as are the boundaries between Richie’s and Chien’s twin characters and their real-life artistic collaboration.

Richie and Chien — different in age and ethnicity — undoubtedly form an unconventional twinship, but their exploration of kinship and affinity seeks to look beyond the facts of biological similarity. Longtime collaborators as part of the Erika Chong Shuch Performance Project and as performers in the theatre event The Lily’s Revenge at the Magic Theatre—they are versed in creating new works that cross genres and mix aesthetics. Chien and Richie are both veteran multi-disciplinary performers: Chien most recently performed in Flyaway Productions aerial dance piece Niagara Falling and on the tour of Joe Goode Performance Group’s The Rambler; Richie most recently performed in Chris Black’s Rotunda Dance Series piece at City Hall and co-created Lost and Found in the Mission which won the Best of the San Francisco Fringe Festival.

Video: Eric Koziol
Photography: Pak Han

Collaborators: Richard Board, Christy Funsch, Monique Jenkinson, Pat Moran, Sean Riley, Erik Ian Walker

*Come for the workshop, stay for the show. Inspired by their residency project, richien will lead participants in improvisations that explore different states of connection — from physical to psychic — through movement and song. All interested movers are invited to come alone or with a partner.

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Rowena Richie

Rowena Richie moved to San Francisco after completing her BFA in dance at Cal State Long Beach. In 2001 she became a collaborator with Erika Chong Shuch Performance Project. In 2008 Richie created Lost and Found in the Mission which merged her multidisciplinary interests. Lost and Found received “Best Of Fringe” honors from the S.F. Fringe Festival. Richie has performed with numerous Bay Area dance artists including EmSpace Dance, POTRZEBIE/Chris Black, and Funsch Dance Experience. She and interdisciplinary artist Jennifer Chien started dance project “richien” in March 2012. Richie’s work has been supported by grants and artist residencies.

Jennifer Chien

Jennifer Chien is a multidisciplinary artist. Her interests encompass: contemporary dance, contact improvisation, theater, songwriting, poetry, digital video/audio production, and collaborations of all kinds. She holds a BA in American Studies from Smith College and MA in Interdisciplinary Performance from New College of California. She has performed with the Erika Chong Shuch Performance Project, STEAMROLLER, Jo Kreiter/Flyaway Productions, Chris Black, Fauxnique/Monique Jenkinson, Scott Wells, Hope Mohr, and Kathleen Hermesdorf/Albert Mathias. Her choreography has been shown at Venue 9, Asian American Dance Performances, Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory, West Coast Contact Improvisation Festival, and CASA 0101 (Los Angeles).

Community Partners: 

    

*USF offers a Major in Performing Arts and Social Justice with a Dance emphasis and a Dance Minor Contact: Megan Nicely, Dance Program Coordinator; nicely@usfca.edu  415.422.3318

Sponsor: 

Mr. Smith’s