Dana Lawton Dances, fiscally sponsored by SHAWL-ANDERSON MODERN DANCE CENTER

Dana Lawton Dances is currently made up of ten dancers ranging in age from 21-63 who have created over 25 repertory works and performed locally, regionally and internationally for over 10 years. The company is currently working toward producing the premier of a new work, "The Farallonites", at the Cowell Theater, Fort Mason, San Francisco, which will explore the experience of the lighthouse keepers and families who lived on the Farallon islands from the 1850s-early 1900s. This multi-disciplinary work will weave dance with light, poetry, visual art, and music, using the harsh physical conditions, repetitive hard labor and near total isolation experienced by these families as recognizable themes through which audiences can find connections to local history, explore their own humanity, and reflect upon the tenacity, resilience, and strength of the human spirit. The project will also include interactive educational programs for 4th grade classes in select Bay Area schools, as it fulfills both CA History and Visual and Performing Arts syllabus requirements. Experiencing the courage, commitment, and personal struggles of those who served at the lighthouse can help participants discover their place in time, deepen their connection to the bay area community, and consider their role and privilege in broader society.