Unbound

Unbound, a performance by dNaga Dance Co., explores the origins of anti-Asian violence through poignant narratives of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, the impact of patriarchy on girls, and the modern-day repercussions of racist legislation. The piece delves into trajectories of hope through themes of unity and care, drawing inspiration from figures like Yuri Kochiyama and examining the practices that propel us toward collective liberation.

The performance of Unbound at the Dresher Ensemble Studio is part of dNaga's research process. It is sponsored by the Anti-Asian Violence: Origins and Trajectories Research Initiative (AAVOT) led by Leti Volpp, Susette Min, Laura Kang, and Lee Ann Wang. This research initiative has been generously funded by the University of California Research Grants Program Office. The completed work's world premiere will be at the UC Davis Mondavi Center.

Artistic Team:

Conceived and Directed by Claudine Naganuma

Choreography by Claudine Naganuma and dNaga Dance Company

Musical Director: Joel Davel

Lighting and Technical Direction: Dale MacDonald

Video and Animation: Elmira Bagherzadeh and Solitaire Miguel

Dancers: Catalina Jackson-Uruena, Chaityn Issacson-Brewster, Gabby Wei, Jhia Louise Jackson, Leila Massoudi, Lihong Chan

Photographs by Matt Haber.

Claudine Naganuma (Choreographer) was born and raised in San Francisco and currently lives in Oakland where she directs her dance company, dNaga. Naganuma is the founder of the GIRL Project, a free art and empowerment workshop for girls living in East Oakland and is the Program Director for Dance for PD®, Oakland. After receiving her M.F.A. in Dance from Mills College, she served as the Artistic Director of Asian American Dance Performances and was a founding board member of the SF Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center. Her choreography was part of Dave Iverson's 2014 documentary Capturing Grace and the company recently performed in Barcelona at the World Parkinson's Congress. www.dNaga.org

Joel Davel (Composer and Live Musician/ Audio Technician) has been working with dNaga since before the inception of dNaga. He is the lead engineer of Buchla USA and plays the invented instrument called the Marimba Lumina designed in collaboration with Don Buchla. He plays with Paul Dresher and several Bay Area opera companies as a composer/sound designer on invented innovative controllers.

For more information about production & dNaga, visit our dedicated website page here.

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