Megan Lowe Dances

Just a Shadow

Megan Lowe, a dancer with short brown hair wearing a beige lace dress, jumps into the air, with the shadow of Shira Yaziv arching above her.

AJ Gardner arches backward and floats above the group, with the shadow of Megan Lowe jumping behind him.

Shira Yaziv, a dancer caught mid-air in a back flip, with the shadow of Megan Lowe behind her.

presents

Just a Shadow

May 31st - June 9th, 2024

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 7:30pm

(ASL Interpretation on Fri. 5/31)

The Joe Goode Annex

401 Alabama Street San Francisco, CA

Artistic Direction by:

Megan Lowe

Created and Performed by:

AJ Gardner, Sonsherée Giles, Josh Icban, Megan Lowe, Frances Teves Sedayao, Roel Seeber, and Shira Yaziv

Lighting Design by:

Ray Oppenheimer

Rigging Design by:

Dave Freitag

Photos by:

RJ Muna

Reflections from Our Audience

“Just a Shadow' took me on a whole journey, not only through the all too familiar feelings of grief and loss, but also into the spontaneous joys of life, all the while beautifully showcasing diverse dance forms and the resilience of the human spirit. This is an absolute must-see!"

My-Linh Le | Director, Mud Water Theatre

Read "Just a Shadow" Program

Read Press Release

Read "Shift the Script" Interview

See More About Our Collaborators

Listen on KALW Radio

Read "Mission Local" Preview

Just a Shadow, by Megan Lowe Dances, is a performance journey in service to artists who have lost loved ones prematurely. With a title inspired by a poem Artistic Director Megan Lowe’s mother wrote shortly before she died, the project stems from Megan’s desire to process the loss of her mother and sister through art, and co-create a space of mutual support with collaborators who are also dealing with recent loss. Just a Shadow brings together 7 powerful artists—AJ Gardner, Sonsherée Giles, Josh Icban, Megan Lowe, Frances Teves Sedayao, Roel Seeber, and Shira Yaziv—to make 6 distinct duets that highlight the unique strengths and creative modalities of each collaborator, including contemporary dance, site-specific dance, vertical dance, turf dance, contact improvisation, and live music.

This project aspires to nourish the soul, support healing, acknowledge resilience, celebrate life, and honor the memories of loved ones. It welcomes diverse perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, recognizing that the narratives surrounding death and processing grief are multifaceted and deeply personal. Through dance performance, MLD aims to provide a platform for catharsis, empathy, and collective understanding, fostering connections that transcend individual stories and unite us in a shared journey toward solace and healing.

Megan Lowe Dances is the featured artist of Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center’s 27th Annual United States of Asian America Festival. Just a Shadow is made possible with support from California Arts Council, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and generous individual donors. MLD is fiscally sponsored by Dancers’ Group.

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Images by Vita Hewitt of Just a Shadow Premiere, May-June 2024

Megan singing in front of a shadow screen, with the shadow of Frances Teves Sedayao behind her, and the backs of AJ Garnder and Josh Icban.

Frances Teves Sedayao dancing in front of a shadow screen, with Megan Lowe's shadow dancing behind her.

Frances Teves Sedayao and Megan Lowe standing next to each other.

Megan Lowe dancing in the beams of Joe Goode Annex.

Sonsherée Giles balancing on Megan Lowe's thighs.

Sonsherée Giles dancing in a pool of light, surrounded by branches.

AJ Gardner being lifted into the air by Megan Lowe.

Megan Lowe lifting AJ Gardner upside-down.

Shira Yaziv arching back with a green monster mask covering her eyes.

Shira Yaziv with a green monster mask covering her eyes, sitting in Megan Lowe's lap.

Megan Lowe lifting Shira Yaziv on her hip.

Megan Lowe and Roel Seeber floating in space, suspended by rope and harness.

Roel Seeber bouncing off a wall, suspended by rope and harness.

Roel Seeber lifting Megan Lowe, suspended by rope and harness.

Megan Lowe and Josh Icban with his guitar, walking and singing.

Megan Lowe and Josh Icban with his guitar, sitting and singing.

Megan Lowe and Josh Icban with his guitar, walking and singing, with five dancers moving around them.

7 dancers sitting together in a circle, in a pool of light.

Megan Lowe being lifted into the air and walking over 5 dancers.

Frances Teves Sedayao being lifted into the air by 5 dancers.

The entire cast of Megan Lowe Dances' "Just a Shadow" taking a bow.

Reflections from Our Collaborators

“Working on Just a Shadow with Megan is a safe and creative container to reflect on loss and the beauty of impermanence. Grief has become a ghost that accompanies me wherever I go. This process allows for reflection on how transformation is inevitable and making friends with your shadow is possible. We laugh and cry and continue to move—death is only for the living.”

Sonsherée Giles about the Just a Shadow process

Sonsherée balances on one foot while leaning backwards with her other leg reaching up to the sky. Her shadow is behind her, eerily similar, but different.

Roel Seeber balances on one foot while falling backwards in space. His shadow is behind him, eerily similar, but different.

Joshua Icban, a musician playing his electric guitar, with his shadow hand him the guitar.

Shira Yaziv balances on one foot while holding Megan Lowe upside down in her arms. Their shadow is behind them, eerily similar, but different.

Back to Works

MEGAN LOWE DANCES

Just a Shadow