In the wake of the unexpected and sudden loss of his brother, choreographer D. Patton White was invited by Core artistic director Sue Schroeder to create a new work for the company as a way of working through the grieving process. Co-commissioned by White’s college friend Jeffrey Clark, As the Shadows Grow Longer has become a meditation on the notion that our lives have meaning because of the relationships we form over the course of a lifetime. What started out as an expression of grief has unfolded into a piece that investigates the full range of interpersonal relationships between people. But at its heart is the disorienting reality of the suddenness and unexpectedness of loss.
How can we hold onto something that is fragile? How can we live in that liminal space of the here and now? How can we carry with us the memories of those who are no longer with us?
In this performance, the audience will be invited to participate at various points before, during and at the end of the piece. Participation is entirely voluntary, and not an expectation.
Core Dance invites anyone who would like to share a digital photo of a loved one who is no longer living, and would like the photo to be included in the final segment of the performance to email the photo to communications@coredance.org no later than March 12, 2019.