In 1991, Jerry Pearson had just been hired to join the dance faculty at UCSB, fresh from his own New York dance company’s worldwide touring.
An existing dance company known as Repertory West Dance West in Santa Barbara was going through growing pains and it seemed to Pearson a natural extension — like an arabesque for a dancer — to transform Rep/West Dance West into a vision for a professional in-residence dance company at the university. Thus, Santa Barbara Dance Theatre was born and is now celebrating its 20th year of leaping gracefully into our hearts.
Pearson had done years of touring and wanted to be an artist-in-residence. As his company grew, however, it was clear the dancers were eager to tour and not just do 10 to a dozen public shows in their hometown.
“We toured internationally to Ireland, Britain, China and Korea from 2006 up to last year to much acclaim and fulfillment for the dancers and me,” Pearson said. “I love being in the company of dancers and the creative process. This company gave me the opportunity — from inception to the present — to thoroughly live and experience the art of dance. I am extremely grateful to the talented dancers who have been in the company, our wonderful donors and the university for giving me this incredible opportunity.”
The 20th anniversary celebration will include only one performance, at 8 p.m. this Friday, Jan. 14, at The Granada, 1216 State St. All of the dancers, choreographers and designers from the past have been invited to attend the show, which will be a retrospective of the best SBDT work through these 20 years.
Dancers who previously performed with the company will join in the show. Christina McCarthy, an original founding member, will perform with her sons, Malcolm and Nolan, introducing the newest generation of dancers; along with Cybil Gilbertson, who now has her own company, Nectar, and Erika Kloumann, who were with SBDT for more than 10 years. Pieces to be included in the 20th anniversary celebration are “Water Under the Bridge,” the first piece Pearson set on the dance company, “Parlor Dances,” “Strange Boat and Artifice” and other favorites — all choreographed by Pearson.
SBDT members who have gone on to further careers in dance include Tracy Kofford, who was in Jennifer Muller’s company The Works (New York) — the company is currently in residency at UCSB; Melissa Ullom, who went to Parsons Dance Co. in New York; Sam Mitchell, who worked with San Diego’s Malashock Dance Company; Thomas McDonnell, who danced with the Oakland Ballet; Lexi Pearl, who joined Diavolo in Los Angeles; Laura Everling, who danced with Diavolo and was in the cast of the Cirque du Soleil’s KA in Las Vegas; Ian McGuiness, who danced in Disney’s Lion King; Teresa Chapman, who is now a professor of dance at the University of Houston; and Dana Bella, who is a member of the teaching faculty at Radford University in Virginia.
Generations of Santa Barbara children — more than 100,000 — were introduced to dance with shows created specifically for elementary school children. Nancy Lynn, who was executive director at the Lobero Theatre Foundation for nearly 20 years, along with past board president Anne Smith Towbes really made a difference for this company and began the DANCE! Santa Barbara Youth Outreach program illustrating the importance and commitment the Lobero Theatre and SBDT has to arts education in the local schools.
Performing in the 20th anniversary celebration will be Tracy Kofford, Monica Ford, Emily Wheeler, Cybil Gilbertson, Blake Hennessy-York, Erika Kloumann, Thomas McDonnell, Sarah Pon, Marcos Duran, Christina, Malcolm and Nolan McCarthy and Jerry Pearson.
Tickets are $21 for students/seniors and $28 general. Call 805.899.2222. The box office will be open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, or click here to order online.
— Mo McFadden is a publicist.