Margaret Jenkins is no newbie to the contemporary dance scene. The Bay Area-based choreographer has been lending her innovative technique and talent to the stage for the past 35 years, always pushing the envelope beyond traditional performance. This time around, in a cross-cultural collaboration at YBCA, the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company partners with the Guangdong Modern Dance Company of Guangzhou, China for the world premiere of a dance trilogy titled Other Suns.
In a rapid series of movement and morphing group sculpture, the piece explores symmetry and asymmetry in Chinese and American cultures through a blend of contemporary dance forms, breaking down barriers and offering a new perspective on balance and imbalance in our ever-changing global society. In an effort to close the gap that divides us both physically and culturally, the show poses questions about differences and offers answers through a shared understanding of art.
Other Suns is part of an artist series presented by YBCA under the Big Idea, Bridging the Gap, a forum for work involving international and cross-cultural collaborations.
Margaret Jenkins Dance Company performs at YBCA’s Novellus Theater, 700 Howard St., 9/24-9/26 at 8 p.m., $30.
Note: The 9/25 show includes a post-performance talk with both dance companies.