Gathering Pieces
of Peace Program
Megan Lowe Dances
Presents
Gathering Pieces of Peace
A dynamic dance theater work that explores mixed-race Asian American experiences.
September 1-2 & 8-9, 2023
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm
ODC Theater
3153 17th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Photo by: RJ Muna, of Melissa Lewis Wong, Malia Hatico-Byrne, Megan Lowe, and Clarissa Dyas
AbouT the Project
Megan Lowe Dances presents Gathering Pieces of Peace, a dance theater work that explores mixed-race Asian American experiences, with an artistic team composed of folks who identify in this way. Through thoughtful text, soulful song, and dynamic dancing, MLD addresses the complexity of navigating our fractured selves in support of wholeness, and is co-creating a supportive environment for connection that radiates out into our communities.
Continuing the momentum of Piece of Peace: Part One (which premiered in June 2022 as part of ODC's State of Play Festival and API Cultural Center's United States of Asian America Festival), our new work Gathering Pieces of Peace is propelled forward with support from CAC Impact Grant, Zellerbach Family Foundation's Community Arts Grant, SF Grants for the Arts, CA Nonprofit Performing Grant, CA$H Dance, ODC's Rental Discount Initiative, and FACT/SF's Production Support Grant.
This project includes three free/by donation dance workshops, the third of which is happening on September 24, 2023 at Bancroft Studio, UC Berkeley. You can Register for the Workshop Here!
Thank you so much for sharing space with us, and coming to see this show! There are some site-specific elements to this dance, with a unique perspective for each viewer; some of those moments might be up close, and some farther away where you might not see everything all at once. If you can't see a dancer for a moment, there is richness to be found in the experience of seeing the space, and the other people around you. Please feel empowered to express how you are feeling during the performance. There is room for laughter, curiosity, tears, excitement, deep thinking, and smiles. We are honored to share this work with you!
Artistic Team
Artistic Direction by:
Megan Lowe
Choreography & Performance by:
Clarissa Rivera Dyas, Malia Hatico-Byrne, Melissa Lewis Wong, and Megan Lowe
Music by:
Peekaboo/transcriptions01, Zachary Abelson, Megan Lowe, Marica Petrey/Girl Swallows Nightingale, and Emma Tome
Piece of Peace (Part One) Collaborator:
jose e. abad
Lighting Design by:
Harry Rubeck
Production Management by:
Kevin Lo
Lighting Tech by:
Brittany Cobb
Sound Tech by:
Tom Bishop
Public Relations by:
Mary Carbonara
Artistic Director
Megan Lowe
Megan Lowe (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, performer, aerialist, singer-songwriter, filmmaker, teacher, and administrator of Chinese and Irish descent. In addition to her works via MLD, Megan has performed with Flyaway Productions, Lenora Lee Dance, Dance Brigade, Scott Wells & Dancers, Lizz Roman & Dancers, Epiphany Productions, and more. She teaches for Joe Goode Performance Group, Bandaloop, and Flyaway, as well as for schools/youth programs, contact improvisation gatherings, and her alma mater Theater, Dance, & Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, where she currently works as the Program Associate. Megan recently won an Izzie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance - Ensemble for HOME(in)STEAD, a site-specific dance she created with Johnny Huy Nguyen at the David Ireland House / 500 Capp Street. Art is her heart!
Photo by: RJ Muna, of Megan Lowe, Clarissa Rivera Dyas, and Melissa Lewis Wong
Dancers
ClarisSA Dyas
Clarissa Rivera Dyas (she/they) is a movement artist with roots in the Bay Area, Ohlone Land. She centers her artistic practice through the truthfulness of improvisation and the belief that movement is a spiritual practice as conduit of change. Clarissa graduated from SFSU in 2017 with a B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Health Education. They have been a company member of Zaccho Dance Theatre and Robert Moses’ Kin, and have performed in works by OYSTERKNIFE, Talli Jackon, Lenora Lee Dance, and many others. Clarissa is most recently in collaboration with RUPTURE, Sara Shelton Mann, Jess Curtis/Gravity, and Flyaway Productions. They have also presented work in QDF’s FROLIC Festival, Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency, and the Black Choreographers Festival.
Photo by: RJ Muna, of Clarissa Dyas with Megan Lowe and Malia Hatico-Byrne
Malia Hatico-Byrne
Malia Hatico-Byrne (she/they) has a creative practice centered around ancestral lineage, body reclamation, collaboration, and storytelling. From 2017-2022, she worked with Skywatchers, a community-based art program and performance ensemble based in San Francisco's Tenderloin, collaborating with Tenderloin residents to create performance art situated within civic dialogue. They are a founding member of the collective ABG and are currently pursuing a graduate degree in sexuality studies. Ask her about pop culture, puppies, or what she’s currently reading.
Photo by: RJ Muna, of Malia Hatico-Byrne with Melissa Lewis Wong and Megan Lowe
Melissa Lewis Wong
Melissa Lewis (she/they/他 - AKA Deuce Lee) is a queer, biracial Chinese American artist working with mixed identities and mediums. She thinks often of mother tongues, tube tops, Bruce Lee and drag. Her physicality comes from a background of traditional Chinese folk arts, Western modern dance, and martial arts—with contemporary performance as a place for her intersections to breathe. Melissa is also a photographer, a drag cabaret regular, and an arts administrator.
Photo by: RJ Muna, of Melissa Lewis Wong with Malia Hatico-Byrne and Clarissa Dyas
Musicians
Peekaboo
transcriptions01
Peekaboo/transcriptions01 (they/them) is an experimental cellist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and youth educator situated on Ramaytush Ohlone land (SF). Their compositions are rooted in honoring the essence and spirit of past, present, and future Queer ancestors, prioritizing sonic exploration practices towards the decolonizination of Euro-centric structures embedded in youth and adult music education and performance. Through multiple collaborations with QTBIPOC2S Bay Area-based performers, they continue to work in togetherness, sonically activating bodily vibrations, readying the move towards non-binary Queer liberation, strengthening connections between Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Filipinx ancestry—celebrating freedom of expression, rest, and breath.
Photo by: Gary Sexton
Zachary Abelson
Zachary Abelson (he/him) is a half Chinese, half white musician originally from Cerritos, an asian immigrant town on the outskirts of LA county. He grew up playing jazz saxophone and enjoys jamming with other artists from all types of backgrounds. He spends his time with his loved ones and pondering life—always grateful for the opportunity to create and share.
Photo by: Lana Vasiljevic
Marica Petrey
GIRL SWALLOWS NIGHTiNGALE
Girl Swallows Nightingale was hatched when Marica Petrey (she/her) wrote too much music for one of her fantasy film projects and made it the perfect excuse to start a band in Oakland. With songwriting inspired by Japanese folklore, anime, science fiction, and epic saga, GSN conjures a cinematic experience, painting a vivid musical canvas that shifts its colors between modern rock, jazz, theater, funk, and pop, to underwater soundscapes and dreams of outer space. In addition to leading GSN, Marica is an award winning filmmaker, a journalist for CALIFORNIA Magazine, and founder of RADIX Troupe Productions.
Photo by: Maurice Ramirez
Emma Tome
Emma Tome (they/them) has an eclectic background in classical piano and choral singing, Okinawan folk music, and self-taught guitar, percussion, and production, and takes an observational, intuitive approach to composition for dance. They aim to underscore the environmental and emotional textures of movement, often working with sampled speech and unconventional source materials connected to a work’s themes. They delight in collaborating with movement artists to collectively realize a supportive sonic world for performance. Previous work includes composing for “death pod” (Nol Simonse and Jim Cave) and “before the clay dries” (Melissa Lewis Wong and Malia Hatico-Byrne).
Photo by: Lydia Daniller
Additional
Collaborators
JOSE E. ABAD
jose e. abad (they/them) is a multidisciplinary performance artist, DJ, and curator based in unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory. Born in Olongapo City, Philippines to a Filipina Mother and an Afro-Carribean U.S. Naval Soldier, their work explores the complexities of cultural identity at the crossroads of gender, sexuality, class, and race in the United States. Through dance theater, sonic and visual experimentation, they unearth lost histories that reside in the body, that the mind has forgotten and dominant culture has erased.
Photo by: Maurice Ramirez
Kevin Lo
Kevin Lo (he/any) is a composer, choreographer, writer, artist and arts worker living on Chochenyo Ohlone land. In his compositions for live performance and installation, he utilizes instruments, digital sound processing and generative programming environments to examine spatial and auditory sensitivities, topological structure and audience kinesthetic response while seeking to corrupt conventional compositional/performative/installative rationale. He is one half of the experimental interdisciplinary duo, DROUGHT SPA, alongside alex cruse. His chapbook, OKLDCAAN, was released on Eyelet Press in 2019. He is currently in the Music composition PhD program at UC Berkeley, while working variously as technical director, videographer, technician, and sound recordist in the bay.
About MLD
With an affinity for dynamic places and partners, Megan Lowe Dances (MLD) shifts your perspective. Directed by a choreographer of Chinese and Irish descent, MLD explores complex identities and experiences by tackling unusual physical situations and inventing compelling solutions, opening up the imagination to what is possible. Since 2013, MLD has been creating dances that demonstrate the "intensely-physical, curiously-playful, delightfully-weighty rigor of physicality” (Life as a Modern Dancer) in the San Francisco Bay Area, situated on unceded Ramaytush Ohlone land. MLD’s recent choreographic works and commissions have been seen at de Young Museum, Legion of Honor Museum, Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, the David Ireland House/500 Capp Street Foundation, the Joe Goode Annex, Kapwa Gardens, Eastside Arts Alliance, CounterPulse, as well as in SF Trolley Dances, CAAMFest, and United States of Asian America Festival. MLD deepens connections with their Asian American Pacific Islander communities through relationships with organizations such as API Cultural Center; the creation of public art in SF/Oakland Chinatown as part of efforts to revitalize these communities during the pandemic; and choreographic commissions celebrating Asian influences on American culture/s.
Led by a choreographer of color, MLD empowers movers of color, and we’re committed to making creative spaces with a BIPOC majority, in both our hiring practices and the participants of movement classes we lead. With specific outreach, discounts, and scholarships to our workshops, we create a space of dance study where BIPOC aren’t the minority, de-centering normative white/eurocentric experiences and cultivating diversity in Bay Area dance. A previous workshop participant wrote, “The safe container empowered me to try new things and go beyond my usual notions of what I can and can't do. I appreciated the presence of many POC helping me feel less like an outlier.” Our artistic process thrives via collaboration, prioritizing creating relationships of respect, generosity, and gratitude. This culture of magnanimity is harnessed in the dance classes/workshops MLD leads for movers of all different ages, experience levels, body types, races, cultures, and socio-economic statuses—building community and connection.
Music/Text Notes
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“All Mixed Up” (intro), by Megan Lowe
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Sung live by Clarissa Dyas, Malia Hatico-Byrne, Melissa Lewis Wong, and Megan Lowe
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“Spatial Zones” by Zachary Abelson
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With recorded text by jose e. abad
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“Improv Apocalyptic” by Megan Lowe
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“Becoming” by Emma Tome
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With recorded text by Malia Hatico-Byrne
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“Ancestors in My Bones” by Megan Lowe
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Sung live by Megan Lowe
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“Their Songs I Can Here” by Megan Lowe
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“Unpeel” by Megan Lowe
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"What Are You? (transition)" by Emma Tome
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“What Are You?” by Emma Tome
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Sung live by Clarissa Dyas, Malia Hatico-Byrne, Melissa Lewis Wong, and Megan Lowe
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“Bridges” by Peekaboo / trascriptions01
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With vocals by Megan Lowe
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“Apocalyptic Improv” by Megan Lowe
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“In Fluidity” by Megan Lowe
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With recorded text by Melissa Lewis Wong
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“Open Water” by Marica Petrey and Andrea Wang of Girl Swallows Nightingale
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“All Mixed Up” (outro) by Megan Lowe
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Sung live by Clarissa Dyas, Malia Hatico-Byrne, Melissa Lewis Wong, and Megan Lowe
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After the show, if you are curious to see transcripts of the lyrics sung and text spoken during Gathering Pieces of Peace, click the button below. We would recommend doing this post show, vs. before/during the show.
Audience Survey
Thank you for attending Megan Lowe Dances presents Gathering Pieces of Peace at ODC Theater, September 1-2 and 8-9, 2023. We had such a wonderful time dancing and sharing this performance, and we are so grateful for each and every one of you.
Surveys like this help us apply for grants, better understand who our art is serving, and improve our future programming. We are excited to hear from you!
You could choose to remain anonymous if you wish, and all sections are optional. If you are able to forward this survey to others in your party that attended Gathering Pieces of Peace with you, that would be so appreciated. We want to hear from everyone!
If you would like to share your responses in a more free form way, you can also send an email over to megan@meganlowedances.com.
Thanks for your time and consideration!
Special Thanks
Emma Tome: for going above and beyond on the music front, creating such a complex and beautiful song for us to sing, and for making some lovely charcuterie boards.
Gabriele Christian: for text delivery support.
Harry Rubeck and Dance Mission Theater: for support in bringing all of our lighting dreams to life, and providing the equipment, time, energy, and genius to do so. There is so much gratitude for all of you!
jose e. abad: for their artistic contributions to Piece of Peace: Part One.
ODC's State of Play Festival (curators Amara Tabor-Smith and Charles Slender-White) and Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center: for co-presenting Piece of Peace: Part One, the seed for Gathering Pieces of Peace.
Veronica Llave / Llave Floral: for help with supplying flowers for our altar.
Rosemary Hannon and Miriam Wolodarski-Lundberg: for a key costume element.
Traci Hatico: for helping sew a costume.
Annie Dieckman: for ASL Interpretation.
Tattoo Artists: Hyesu, Devin, Lianna, Charms, Zoe, Sonja, Soko, Victoria, Hanna,, Pearl, Hayden, Shanti, Sean, Mia, Pang, and Scott.
Gathering Pieces of Peace Mixed-Race Asian American Community Features (for responding to our Call for Mixed-Race Asian American Experiences, and accepting our invitation to be featured): Rebecca Fitton, Raychel Hatch, Vita Hewitt, Grace Kostrzewa, Isaac Masicampo, Michael Nagle, Zoë-Elise Quon, LizAnne Roberts, Amy Swart, Maureen Tang, Lea Thibaut, and Korea Venters.
Gathering Pieces of Peace Supporters (for generous assistance in various meaningful ways): Anum Awan, Chris Chamberlin-Miner, Derek Chin, Ajay Dave, Inertia Dewitt, Paul/Mike/Susan Dier, Lou Fancher, Philip Gotanda, Garth Grimball, Keith Hennessy, Rachel Howard, Rose Huey, Chrysalis Hyon, Kim Ip, Michelle D. Jacques, Ben Juodvalkis, Kacy Jung, Debby Kajiyama, Jo Kreiter, SanSan Kwan, Lian Ladia, David Latulippe, Janice Lee, Jeremy Liew, Gary/Donna/Madeline/Jackson Lowe, Joan Lazarus Dobkowski, Chetna Mehta, RJ Muna, Aiano Nakagawa, Johnny Huy Nguyen, Bhumi B Patel, Katya Ponomarenko, Shannon Preto, Jill Randall, Luna Sophia Ruiz, Robbie Swenny, Amara Tabor-Smith, Olivia Trevino, David Wendt, Emmaly Wiederholt, Brian Williamson, Miriam Wolodarski-Lundberg, Nina Wu, and Chloe Zimberg.
Gathering Pieces of Peace Community Partners: 48 Hills SF, 500 Capp Street Foundation, API Cultral Center, Asian Babe Gang, AXIS Dance Company, Bandaloop, Bay Area POC CI Community, Broke-Ass Stuart, Center for Asian American Media, CounterPulse, Creation for Liberation Podcast, Dance Mission Theater, Detour Dance, Dragons Dance, Flyaway Productions, Gregangelo Museum, Joe Goode Performance Group, KALW, Kristin Damrow Company, KULARTS, Lenora Lee Dance, Life as A Modern Dancers, Macro Waves, Mercury News, Mission Local, NAKA Dance Theater, OYSTERKNIFE, PUSH Dance, Queering Dance Festival, RAWdance, REYES Dance, Sense Object, SF Chinatown Today, SF Classical Voice, SF Chronicle, SF Dance Film Fest, SF Fine Arts Museums, SF Urban Film Fest, Shawl-Anderson Dance Center, Stance on Dance, Theater, Dance, & Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, and Velocity Circus.
Dedications
Megan’s Dedications
To my loved ones who have passed, holding memories of home:
My mom, Kathy Lowe
My sister, Amanda Lowe
My grandma, Mildred Lowe
My grandpa, Dick Lowe
And to my dad, Gary Lowe, for bringing me into the world with my mom.
~*~
Malia's Dedications:
For young malia, Traci Hatico, Murt Byrne, Jose Byrne, Grandma and Grandpa: Lillian & Jose Hatico, Grandma Dort & Grandpa Murt
~*~
Clarissa's Dedications:
For Mama Rivera
~*~
Melissa's Dedications:
For Waipo Grace and Waigong, Joy, Nathan, Todd; and Dandy, Thornton, and Grandma Dottie, though we never met.
And for Mrs. Wang—happy early birthday!
Funders
Megan Lowe Dances is fiscally sponsored by Dancers’ Group, and the Gathering Pieces of Peace project is honored to be supported by CAC Impact Grant, Zellerbach Family Foundation's Community Arts Grant, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, CA Nonprofit Performing Grant, ODC's Rental Discount Initiative, Dancers' Group's CA$H Dance, FACT/SF Production Support Grant, and generous individual donors.
