Emily & James. An Evening of Dance, Music, Theatre
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Sunday, Aug 2, 2026 3pm - 5pm
Location
Sausalito Center for the Arts
750 Bridgeway
Details
Danse Lumière presents an intimate dance theater program featuring choreography by Kathryn Roszak, inspired by the literary worlds of James Joyce and Emily Dickinson. The company recently returned from the European premiere of the James Joyce Ballet in Dublin, Ireland, marking an exciting expansion of its international presence, with additional performances in New York and San Francisco.
Part I: James Joyce
Roszak’s James Joyce Ballet draws from The Dead, Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake, bringing Joyce’s richly layered narratives into a vivid physical language. The work explores the emotional and psychological landscapes of Joyce, Nora Barnacle, and their daughter Lucia Joyce, weaving themes of memory, longing, and identity. Featured artists include dancers from American Ballet Theatre and Pacific Northwest Ballet, whose performances bring depth and vitality to Roszak’s vision.
“So engaging was last night’s performance. The dancer epitomized why ballet remains vibrant and alive. I marveled at the nuanced and rich interpretations.”
— Theater Beyond Broadway, New York City
“The performance was a sophisticated and moving interpretation of Joyce’s world. Roszak’s work reflects a rare combination of literary depth, choreographic precision, and cultural sensitivity.”
— Liam Reidy, President, United Irish Cultural Center
Part II: Emily Dickinson — Pensive Spring
The Emily Dickinson Ballet: Pensive Spring draws from Dickinson’s letters written across many years and seasons, offering a window into her inner world. Roszak interprets Dickinson as deeply psychological, modern, and radical.
A scientist of the soul, Dickinson approaches themes of love, pain, and death with striking fearlessness. Her correspondence reveals a passionate and expansive spirit, shaped by the constraints of the Victorian era yet transcending them. In Roszak’s interpretation, Dickinson’s voice emerges as both intimate and universal, echoing her own words: a “soul of fire in a shell of pearl.”
“Roszak translates the poetry into eloquent physical language and poignantly illuminates the soul of the poet.”
— Contra Costa Times
