Sonoma County Dance Theater

Dancin’ with Nancy 

SoCo Dance Theater Fall Concert with Nancy Lyons 

In their second year on the main stage of Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park, SoCo Dance Theater is proud to feature a collaborative work between guest artist and veteran choreographer Nancy Lyons and dancers of the company. The cast of dancers is multigenerational, ranging from 20-60 years.



Nancy Lyons’ “Passing Along” is a reworking and distillation of a dance she originally made in 2005 in response to the loss of her mother. In remaking it for the dancers of SoCo Dance Theater, she has chosen to focus on aspects of the work that speak of loss and the transmission of memory carried in the legacy of a loved one’s personal effects.

The recent loss of her father prompted Virginia Matthews, a member of SoCo Dance Theater to initiate the collaboration with Ms. Lyons to bring “Passing Along” back to life. “I feel a great emotional charge from inside the dance which adds real depth to the piece.” says Matthews of her interpretation of the role that Ms. Lyons performed in the original dance.

In choosing what to emphasize in distilling the 35 minute work down to half its length, Ms. Lyons “tried to discern what I thought would be universal versus specific to my mother, so the experiences were not outside the realm of familiarity.”

In addition to “Passing Along”, the evening’s program includes new works by Beth McEnery, Mercy Sidbury, Gloria Rubio, Nicole Imholz and Kelly McKee, and Lee Brewster, as well as a restaging of Kristen Daley’s “See You in June” (excerpt).

Performances are Friday and Saturday, November 4th & 5th at Spreckels Performing Arts Center Codding Theatre in Rohnert Park. Both shows are 8:00 pm. Tickets are $18.00 advanced sales/$15.00 seniors/$20.00 at the door, students 2 for 1 $15.00 with student ID. For information or to purchase tickets, please call 707 861-0841. For further information about the Company, its members and mission, please visit SoCo Dance Theater on the web at http://www.socodancetheater.org