World's On Fire, 2018
Commissioned by ODC Dance (San Francisco)
World’s on Fire is inspired by Weare’s seminal 2010 work Bright Land, originally made in collaboration with old time band The Crooked Jades. Expanded in 2019 for a cast of nine dancers from ODC/Dance, World’s on Fire, choreographed by Kate Weare, and co-directed by Weare and ODC’s Artistic Director Brenda Way, featured live music from The Crooked Jades and premiered at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco in 2019.
By turns visceral, wicked and tender, World’s on Fire explores the cyclical nature of human experience through the specific lineage of old time music. The smoldering choreography and soulful music, performed by renowned old time band The Crooked Jades, lets us glimpse a slice of American history through the vivid portal of sound and movement.
"Teaming bluegrass/old-time string band The Crooked Jades with nine superb ODC dancers, World’s on Fire, created by choreographer Kate Weare and expanded, with co-direction of ODC founder Brenda Way, from its original quartet state, is kinesthetically as generous and iconoclastic as the instrumentation and harmonies the Jades bring to the stage"
~ Janice Berman, San Francisco Classical Voice