RAWdance to Host CONCEPT Series 34 with New Choreographers in April
The 34th round, coming up on April 10 & 11, brings guest artists The Straw Dogs, Natalya Janay Shoaf, Monique Jenkinson, and more.
Beloved by audiences for its unique, welcoming approach to contemporary dance, RAWdance's CONCEPT series has consistently offered one of the best samplings of the Bay Area's vibrant and diverse dance scene for almost two decades. The 34th round, coming up on April 10 & 11, brings guest artists The Straw Dogs, Natalya Janay Shoaf, Monique Jenkinson, Pearl Street Dance Collective, and A(laj)a Badalich to the SF War Memorial Green Room alongside RAWdance.
The CONCEPT series is a staple of the Bay Area dance calendar and has shared the work of over 175 local dance makers over the past 19 years. Buoyantly hosted by RAWdance's popcorn-and-cookies-slinging Co-Artistic Directors Wendy Rein and Ryan T. Smith, the series provides an intimate glimpse into the creative process for audiences. Rein, Smith, and Megan Kurashige of Sharp & Fine curate the CONCEPT series by artist, not by work, making every round feel fresh and surprising, as artists are encouraged to share work at any point in the creative process, from works-in-progress straight from the studio to existing repertory, revisited for the approachable yet opulent event.
The CONCEPT series: 34 lineup includes A(laj)a Badalich, a choreographer and founder of Fermata Ballet Collective and a current company member with AXIS dance company. Badalich will share a solo, developed through research supported by the 2025 AXIS Choreo-Lab Fellowship, that traces the self as it becomes both the source and the mirror. Pearl Street Dance Collective previews a trio, created by Artistic Director and Founder Elizabeth Wiehe, that will premiere at their upcoming season. The trio explores the feeling of fading childlike wonder, leaving behind a quiet, often unnoticed ache that settles in the body. Monique Jenkinson, known for her more than two decades of work as a faux queen blending drag, cabaret, and contemporary dance, brings unplugged excerpts of her upcoming production “How Do I Look?” Her pared-back, no-drag sampling offers an intimate taste of Jenkinson's much-hyped, upcoming production. Natalya Janay Shoaf, a process-oriented choreographer and teacher who believes that movement is a stepping stone for self-discovery, will be sharing a duet. And The Straw Dogs, a collective of powerhouse dance artists who have been hitting Bay Area stages for 25+ years, will bring a solo for performer Camille Henrot. For this round of the salon, RAWdance will share early experiments and ideas towards Echo, a new work that will be developed through a residency at Jackson Square's 836M gallery this fall.
Key to the CONCEPT series' success is that it works for both dance lovers and those entirely new to the form. The event is welcoming and fun. The art is satisfying and diverse. It's pay-what-you-can and there are snacks. What more could you ask for? Rein explains: “Whether you go to dozens of dance shows a year or have never seen contemporary dance before, the CONCEPT series is meant for you.”
ABOUT RAWDANCE
RAWdance creates adventurous, thoughtful, and welcoming programming that challenges what contemporary dance is, where it happens, who it includes, and the role it plays in our lives. Based in San Francisco and in NY's Hudson Valley, the company transforms theaters and public spaces through performance, curation, and collaboration. RAWdance's charged and nuanced works have been presented by The Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow, YBCA, Dance St. Louis, ODC Theater, the Singapore Fringe, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, ‘62 Center for Theatre and Dance, and more throughout the U.S. and in Asia. RAWdance has presented works by over 175 artists through its CONCEPT series salon since 2007, and over 40 additional site-specific works through its curation of YBG ChoreoFest between 2017 and 2022. In 2021, the company launched Radiate, a fellowship program for emerging Bay Area BIPOC dance artists. From 2019 to 2024, RAWdance was voted “Best Dance Company” by 48 Hills and the San Francisco Bay Guardian's Best of the Bay. In 2025, RAWdance was honored with a Sustained Achievement Izzie Award for outstanding and sustained performance. More at rawdance.org.
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