TALK STORY #1
PROGRAM
August 28-30 at Dance Mission Theater
Produced and curated by Sharp & Fine
Lighting design by Harry Rubeck
ASL interpretation on 8/28 by Pilar Marsh
These performances are made possible in part by funding from the San Francisco Arts Commission
Molly Rose-Williams
The Funeral
Created and performed by:
Molly Rose-Williams
Sound by:
Molly Rose-Williams
This is the newest of a series of sketches exploring hope, dread, and death. I created and performed the first version of "The Funeral" last fall based on the question: Would it be possible to make a piece about death that is genuinely funny? I was curious if I could capture both the immensity of grief, as well as the absurdity of death—it's so unfathomable, there's a kind of dark humor to it. That piece featured a mysterious nun with a tuning fork, and explored the action of sobbing as choreography. A subsequent version featured a Grimm Reaper/government agent, a conspiracy theorist come resistance fighter, and Dread, Hope's sibling. For this version, I decided to strip it back to focus solely on developing Dread as a character. I'm hoping that over time, I can keep developing these smaller sketches as a way to move towards a full-length solo show.
Babatunji Johnson
F
Choreography and performance:
Babatunji and Hadassah Perry
Direction:
Babatunji
Music:
Khruangbin - Les Petits Gris, Frank Ocean - Moon River, Colin Stetson - All the days I've missed you, Colin Stetson - Fireflies, Future Island - Little Dreamer
Costumes:
Hadassah Perry and Charmaine Butcher
“F” is a work in progress which is a query into what can come from the quest for freedom. The subjectivity of freedom in America is inescapable. “Freedom” is now synonymous with homogyny and bigotry, a freedom to hate. “F” reimagines freedom through experiences of love, frivolity, imagination, and tender heartedness.
Thank you to Chloë Zimberg and ODC Theater for supporting the creation of this work and believing in the vision.
chinchin HSU
Excerpts from Every Grain of Us
work-in-progress
Choreographed and performed by:
Chinchin
Music by:
Saba Alizadeh, Mong Tong, Forest Sounds
Food is a love language that many immigrant families use to care for one another. In many Asian traditions, meal time is when generations gather, share stories, and reaffirm connection. Through this project, I want to explore the poetic and symbolic meanings of rice as nourishment, as a bridge across generations, as a talisman carried when one leaves home, and as a living archive of Asian heritage that must be tended and preserved.
The evening-length version of Every Grain of Us will premiere November 14-15 at Geneva Powerhouse, please sign up here for further information.
Sharp & Fine
Excerpts from IPHIGENIA
work-in-progress
Devised by Megan & Shannon Kurashige with the cast,
with inspiration from Euripides’s Iphigenia at Aulis
Co-Directors:
Megan & Shannon Kurashige
Cast:
Eric Avery, Charmaine Butcher, Kira Fargas, Molly Levy, Hadassah Perry, Ryan Rouland Smith
Composer:
Jordan Glenn
When we started doing research sessions with collaborators last spring, we discovered a collective hunger for grappling with darker, more complicated stories and characters. We wanted to box ourselves into tragedy and see what happened when we beat on the walls. It felt appropriate for the current state of the world. Euripides’s play about a king who sacrifices his own daughter so he can launch the Trojan War is 2,400 years old and still maddeningly relevant. This is the first time we’ve used an existing play as the starting point for a devising process, and it has (happily!) forced us to try new tactics and rely on each other even more as a collaborating ensemble.
The evening-length version of IPHIGENIA will premiere October 23-25 at Z Space in San Francisco, with music performed live by an incredible band led by composer Jordan Glenn. For more information, please visit this page
ABOUT SHARP & FINE AND TALK STORY
Sharp & Fine creates devised dance theater performances that combine exuberant choreography, physical rigor, original text, live music, and surreal imagery that ignites the imagination and frees the audience to discover their own meaning.
We believe storytelling is a powerful tool for envisioning and creating pieces of the world as you wish it to be. In our process, that means bringing together good people and making the space, time, and questions to help us become a collaborating ensemble that cares fiercely, tries boldly, and is never afraid of being outrageously silly. How else can we make new stories that even attempt to say something worth listening to?
TALK STORY gives dancemakers who are interested in storytelling an opportunity to try out new work with the invaluable presence of an audience. It was inspired by Megan and Shannon’s experience growing up with family in Hawaii, where everyone spends a lot of time sitting on the lanais of various family members, talking story and eating good food. We hope it can become an annual series!
To hear more about Sharp & Fine performances, workshops, and other events, follow us @sharpandfine on Instagram or join our mailing list.
TALK STORY #1 ARTIST BIOS
ERIC AVERY
Sharp & Fine Deviser-Performer
Eric Avery is an interdisciplinary artist and cultural organizer with over nineteen years of professional experience in theatre, interactive performance, and community-based projects. Since 2018, they have focused on applying a reparationist framework to their creative practice, organizing projects, and life. This dedication to relationship-centered process has put Avery in partnership with non-profit organizations, municipalities, social service agencies, universities, farms, community centers, prisons, art galleries, public spaces, and private homes. In addition to collaborations, Avery has independently created over 25 original productions. They earned a Bachelor's in Theatre & Film from the University of Kansas and an MFA in Theatre Arts from Towson University. Honors/Awards: Bessie Award (Outstanding Visual Design), Lavender Magazine Best of List (Outstanding Performance), Elliot Norton Award (Outstanding Design), 2024 MAP Grant Awardee, Zellerbach: Community Arts, East Bay Fund for Artists, Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency, TBA CA$H Grant, Rainin: New & Experimental Works, and more.
CHARMAINE BUTCHER
Sharp & Fine Deviser-Performer
Charmaine is a dance artist based out of Oakland, CA. After graduating high school with an Associate's Degree, they continued their training at Alonzo King LINES Ballet's Training Program in San Francisco. Charmaine has worked professionally for various choreographers, including Amy J Lambert, Beth Terwilleger, Cameo Lethem, Chuck Wilt, Dani Rowe, Dwight Rhoden, Robert Moses and performed with Ballet22, Ballare Carmel, BODYSONNET, Coriolis Dance, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, SFJazz, Smuin Contemporary Ballet, and Verlaine & McCann’s Burlesque Nutcracker. They worked closely with Moscelyne ParkeHarrison throughout 5 seasons dancing with Robin Dekker’s Post:ballet. In 2025, they premiered an original role in Matthew Ozawa’s Parsifal for San Francisco Opera, choreographed by Rena Butler. Charmaine currently dances with Sharp & Fine and frequently collaborates with their partner Babatunji, showing work independently at San Francisco Trolley Dance, RAWdance’s CONCEPT Series, Dance Lovers (SF), Studio 210 Residency, and with Inner Child Foundation. Charmaine is working as a dancer in Babatunji’s Phoenix Paradox (working title) produced by SOZO Media, which will premiere in 2027. Charmaine is also an instructor, teaching rigorous and inspiring contemporary ballet classes as well as breaking based floorwork approaches inspired by their time working with Babatunji. In 2019, Charmaine completed their bachelor’s degree in Marketing & Entrepreneurship. In addition to dancing and teaching movement, Charmaine enjoys baking gluten free goodies for their friends and works as a floral designer whenever the opportunity arises.
KIRA FARGAS
Sharp & Fine Deviser-Performer
Kira is a queer, first-generation Filipinx-American movement artist, choreographer, educator, and drag performer. She began her dance training at the Westlake School for the Performing Arts in Daly City, CA, and received her BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona in 2017. Kira has performed and collaborated with UNA Productions (Fuchsia), EIGHT/MOVES (Mia Chong), Detour Productions (Eric Garcia and Kat Cole), Sharp & Fine (Megan and Shannon Kurashige), New Dialect (Banning Bouldin), and KT Nelson, among others. Their choreographic work has been presented at UNA Productions’ Glimpse, ODC’s State of Play, BODYSONNET’s OTHER/self, RAWDance’s Concept Series, and more. Central to their artistic practice is an exploration of their Filipinx and queer identity, honoring both their cultural lineage and community. Kira currently co-directs the Contemporary Training Program at the Westlake School for the Performing Arts alongside Hadassah Perry. She is deeply committed to mentoring and collaborating with the next generation of dancers.
CHINCHIN HSU
Guest Artist
chinchin Hsu is a native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, who loves to move, create, share, eat and listen to stories. She has trained in ballet, various contemporary and modern techniques, Tai Chi, Chinese martial art and improvisation. In 2008, Chinchin moved to San Francisco and has worked with ODC, KUNST- STOFF, Anne Bluethenthal Dance Productions, Tanya Bello’s Project B., Kara Davis’ project agora, Lenora Lee Dance, LEVYdance, Sara Shelton Mann, Katie Faulkner’s little seismic dance company, Christy Funsch’s Dance Experience, James Graham Dance Theater, 2FaceDance Company (England), and Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. She has set her choreographies in San Francisco, Taiwan and Miami. chinchin recieved 2018-19 Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance - Individual. Instagram
BABATUNJI JOHNSON
Guest Artist
Babatunji is a dance artist, choreographer, and creative innovator based out of Oakland, CA. Though never formally trained as a child, Babatunji was always moving his body to the beat. At the age of 15, he discovered the art of hip hop. Following this epiphany of love, he grew up through his teens breaking and popping on street corners in Hilo, Hawaii. After being “discovered” by a local dance instructor, he began his formal training at Center Stage Dance Alliance in various styles of dance, including ballet. This training would inevitably lead him to Lines Ballet’s Training Program, and from there, into LINES Ballet company.
For over a decade he has worked with one of the greatest American choreographers, Alonzo King. Throughout their time together Babatunji originated many roles, including the acclaimed “Lift Every Voice” solo in which he’s been blessed to share the stage with Grammy Award-winning vocalist, Lisa Fischer. As a freelance dancer, Babatunji has worked with Post:ballet, SFDanceworks, Ballare Carmel; as well as performed works by choreographers and artist such as Adji Cissoko, Yue Yin, Danielle Rowe, Brett Conway, Rich and Tone Talauega, David Harvey, and Mike Tyus. Additionally, his work for film includes features in Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs’ Blindspotting on Starz. Most recently he co-starred alongside Misty Copeland in her short art film Flower, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2023. The San Francisco Chronicle profiled Babatunji’s journey from street performance to the big screen.
Over the past 15 years, Babatunji has developed a unique movement language, blending his background in ballet, contemporary, breaking, and hip hop. He has choreographed for Berkeley Ballet Theater, Boston Dance Theater, Post:ballet, Trolley Dance, SFDanceworks, San Francisco Dance Film Festival, among other Bay Area companies. As a solo artist, Babatunji has performed internationally, collaborating with visual, sound, and technical artists of countless genres. His work has been seen at Museum of Dance, Lion’s Jaw performance + dance festival, København Danser, and SFJazz in collaboration with Terri Lyne Carrington. In 2015, he was awarded a Princess Grace Award, as well as a Chris Hellman Award for his outstanding achievements and promise in the world of dance. In 2022, Babatunji was featured in Dance Magazine’s “Dancer Spotlight - Making New Movement”.
Babatunji is immensely grateful to his mom for providing him with every opportunity and the guidance of her wisdom along the way.
MEGAN & SHANNON KURASHIGE
Sharp & Fine Co-Directors
Megan & Shannon Kurashige are sisters, directors, choreographers, producers, reluctant arts administrators, and mostly lapsed dancers. Across everything they do, they believe in telling stories and making space to listen. They co-founded Sharp & Fine in 2011 to make a home for ongoing collaboration and experiments in theatrical storytelling.
As choreographers, they have been commissioned by Robert Moses’ KIN, Kunoichi Productions, Oakland Ballet, the US/Japan Cultural Trade Network, and Soundwave. As dancers, they worked with Liss Fain Dance, Mark Foehringer Dance Project, Christian Burns, Alex Ketley, Ballet Pacifica, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal. @sharpandfine on Instagram
MOLLY LEVY
Sharp & Fine Deviser-Performer
Molly Levy is a performer and dance educator who is drawn to the heart and humanity of dance. She is curious about how movement uncovers truths we may otherwise never know and inspired most by untethered honesty. Born and raised in the Bay Area and currently based in Oakland, Ca, Molly has performed throughout the country in devised original works, immersive theater, site-specific dance, and full evening burlesque shows. Her collaborations have included work with Sharp & Fine, Paufve Dance, Post:ballet, Cantankerous Creatures, Katie Scherman + Artists, Seattle Opera, The Equus Projects, and LROD. In addition to performing, Molly has worked in theater as a movement director creating fluid movement languages and character specific movement studies for adaptations of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet, devised site-specific theater, and The Light Princess (a musical). As a teacher, Molly integrates her background in ballet, floorwork, and body-mind centering practices to offer a grounded and supportive approach to learning dance with an emphasis on anatomical alignment, functional progressions, musicality, and individual expression.
HADASSAH PERRY
Sharp & Fine Deviser-Performer
Choreographer-Performer for Babatunji
Hadassah is a San Francisco–based professional dancer and drag performer, and the codirector of Westlake School for the Performing Arts Contemporary Training Program with Kira Fargas. She currently performs with UNA Productions and Detour Productions, and has previously worked and collaborated with New Dialect, Babatunji Johnson, Bryan Arias, Alex Ketley, Yin Yue, KT Nelson, and Deborah Slater. Hadassah teaches at Training Ground SF and has created original works for Pearl Street Collective, RAWdance’s Concept Series, UNA’s Glimpse, and New Dialect’s Third Voice. @smileypiley on Instagram
MOLLY ROSE-WILLIAMS
Guest Artist
Molly Rose-Williams (she/they) is a performance artist, audio producer, and educator. Her work lives at the intersection of dance, physical theater, and circus, and draws on a childhood of sports, acrobatics and lifelong fascination with stories. She has shared her performances and teaching throughout the US, UK, Mexico, Canada, and Belgium. In addition to creating for the stage, she works as Head of Story Development with national healthcare storytelling organization, The Nocturnists, where she supports healthcare workers to tell their stories on stage and lead produces their award-winning podcast. Learn more at www.mollyrosewilliams.com
RYAN ROULAND SMITH
Sharp & Fine Deviser-Performer
Ryan Rouland Smith holds a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2014, Smith became a member of Kate Weare Company, performing in and originating roles in such works as Dark Lark, Unstruck, Marksman and Praise. In 2019 while dancing in New York, Smith had the pleasure of working with Stefanie Batten Bland, Look Who is Coming to Dinner and Nicole Vaughn Diaz, A Portrait of Them. Following the collaborative process between Kate Weare Company and ODC, Decameron/Up For Air; Smith joined ODC/Dance from 2021-2025. While there he had the pleasure of dancing and originating works by Sidra Bell, Mia J. Chong, Sonya Delwaide, Catherine Galasso, KT Nelson, Dexandro Montalvo, Kimi Okada, Amy Seiwart and Brenda Way. Currently Smith is freelancing in the Bay Area, this is his first collaboration with Sharp & Fine.