Variable Velocity history in a nutshell:
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June 2001 “Up On Your Feet, Down On Your Hands.” -
June 2002 “Momentum Junkies” inspired the artistic directors to continue to pursue a deeper commitment to theatre, meaningful content and artistic excellence in their work.
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June 2003 “Moving to Place,” succeeded in unifying the intellectual and spiritual content of the performance to focus on “space and place.”
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June 2004 Diana met her future husband and Jude had sore feet.
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June 2005 “Heaven is in Your Mind” propelled Variable Velocity into a higher level of professionalism and artistic depth. The program focused on what “Heaven” means to all of us, whether it is psychological, spiritual, intellectual or physical.
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June 2006 “From the Mundane to the Sublime,” presented a truly transformational journey that sanctified the ordinary in the everyday and elevated performers and audience alike into a state of “sublime.”
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June 2007 “Juxtaposed” was based on the theme of juxtaposition and explored the provocative mysteries that dictate modern human experience.
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June 2008 “Elements, Forces and Other Mysteries” examined the elements that structure our lives, the forces that influence those structures, and the mysteries that keep us wondering how, what, when and why?
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June 2009 “Alchemy” was a mystical journey of transformation and a quest for universal truths.
Variable Velocity Performance Group began as an organization in January 2001 in San Luis Obispo, CA. Before that however, Artistic Directors Diana Stanton and Jude Clark Warnisher were working informally creating dance for productions outside the San Luis Obispo area. Diana and Jude both have professional teaching appointments at Cal Poly and Cuesta College respectively in San Luis Obispo, but they created Variable Velocity as an alternative to the dominant "commercial" dance emphasis in the San Luis county.
Variable Velocity started with a small group of movers committed to artistic and somatic investigation. The group began underground, so to speak, as a small sub-culture of dancers in the San Luis Obispo area. The company class taught by Diana and Jude, now has quite a following.
Movers from many different backgrounds participate in class and share ideas that eventually hit the stage. Both university trained dancers, Jude and Diana focus primarily on contemporary techniques and present dance as a Fine Art. Movement constructs such as Improvisation, Contact Improvisation, Yoga, Pilates, Martial Arts, and Gymnastics heavily
influence the choreography.
We can assure you that viewing Contemporary Dance will not make your brain explode or make you a social outcast!
