Whim W’Him’s Choreographic Shindig
Olivier Wevers, artistic director of the Seattle dance company Whim W'Him, put out a worldwide call for choreographers and 95 applied. He then invited his dancers to select the choreographers they wanted to work with, literally giving them a voice in what audiences would eventually take in. Among those chosen were emerging choreographers Maurya Kerr, Joshua Peugh and Ihsan Rustem. This unique process should generate something equally unique on stage at what is arguably this town's best venue to see dance: the intimate and comfortable Erickson Theatre on Capitol Hill.
If you go: Whim W’Him’s Choreographic Shindig, Erickson Theatre Off Broadway, through Sept. 20 (Tickets start at $25) --F.D.
Vashon Sheepdog Classic *
Last year at the Vashon Sheepdog Classic, I sat back on my blanket in the sun and prepared to be stunned by hyper-intelligent dogs herding sheep. What I didn’t expect: the absurd entertainment of an announcer dissecting the dogs' every move, the unparalleled cuteness and stubbornness of sheep, and how much I learned about sheepherding. If you've never been, it really is worth a look. Head to the island for a day to check out the fiber arts village and try the local food trucks, but stay for the sheepherding.
If you go: Vashon Sheepdog Classic, Misty Isle Farms on Vashon Island, through Sept. 13, Tickets start at $8 --N.C.
Station to Station *
Over 24 days in fall of 2013, visual artist Doug Aitken and the Station to Station train traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific, stopping in cities, the middle of nowhere, and many places in-between, and playing host to everyone from Beck and Patti Smith to a hitchhiker. The result is 62 one-minute films, celebrating creativity in its many forms (with a good bit of music thrown in). This takes the power of short film to a new level and allows for each film to be part of a larger powerful patchwork.
If you go: Station to Station, SIFF Film Center, Through Sept. 13, Tickets start at $12 --N.C.
InvestigateWest: Stories of Here *
Local journalistic outlet InvestigateWest hosts an art show featuring the photographic work of Paul Joseph Brown, Mike Kane and Leah Nash that explores the themes of belonging and diversity. Included are works documenting the Duwamish River, portraits of those who fall on the autism spectrum, and foster youth who have aged out of the system.
If you go: InvestigateWest: Stories of Here, Joe Bar Café, 7 p.m. Sept. 10 (Free) --F.D.
Seattle Design Festival’s Block Party *
The Seattle Design Festival kicks off with a two-day block party in Pioneer Square’s Occidental Park featuring large-scale installations, performances and tours that riff on this year’s “Design for Equity” theme. You’ll be able to play with LEGOS and think about density; take a close-up look at a self-sustaining modular farm; and consider how design can cultivate food equity. The block party celebrates the Pacific Northwest’s largest design-related happening: 100 events held at various locales over a 2-week span. For a full line-up go here.
If you go: Seattle Design Festival’s Block Party, Occidental Park, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 12 and 13 ($10 suggested donation) --F.D.
Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie’s inspiring life story and captivating fiction are no secret at this point; his newest novel Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights is already being praised as “an intellectual treasure chest cleverly disguised as a comic pop-culture apocalyptic caprice.” What will keep me loving Salman Rushdie forever though is hearing him speak. Whether in person or in interviews, reading his fiction or speaking to the crowd, he embodies humor, respect, and a genuine desire for human connection, to share the things he has learned with his audiences.
If you go: Salman Rushdie, Town Hall, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14, $35 for a copy of the book and admission for one, or $40 for a copy of the book and admission for two—N.C.
* events that are under $15
