Vanishing Act

“Vanishing Act,” a new short dance film featuring Pacific Northwest Ballet dancer Dylan Wald and filmed at Open Space for Arts and Community earlier this month, is now on view on the website of Seattle Dance Collective (SDC).

The dance company has established island ties in recent years, both performing and developing new work on Vashon.

The film was inspired by Wald’s journey of self-reflection while grappling with a career-threatening injury that required surgery, rehab, and a year’s hiatus from performing ballet.

Wald, in a press release, described the making of the film as a cathartic and deeply meaningful act of creation.

“It’s been such a long, emotional journey and I am so grateful for this collaborative and creative outlet that has really helped me to process everything along the way,” he said.

Tavi Black, the technical director at Open Space, said that working with the creative team of SDC had been a joyful process.

“Their innovative approach to using our space — including hanging lights from swinging steel lines and creating tunnels out of stage blacks — was inspiring,” she said.

Choreographer Penny Saunders and videographer Bruno Roque co-directed the film, which features music by Michael Wall and Fabian Reimair. Reed Nakayama designed the film’s lighting.

The film will be on view at seattledancecollective.org until July 3. There is an option to donate, but no requirement to do so.

‘Butt Walk’ on gallery walk

On July 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Penny Farcy Building, Peter Ray will have on display 360 photos of cigarette butts collected from his weekly walks along the same one-third mile stretch of Vashon Highway over the last year and a half.

Ray has collected nearly 1000 butts in that time.

“I was out walking for exercise”, Ray said, “and everywhere I went there were cigarette butts along the side of the road.”

What started out as a concern for potential wildfire branched into a general concern for the environment. It is estimated that 65% of smoking materials are disposed of improperly, allowing microplastics and toxins to dissipate into the environment.

Globally, tobacco companies produce 6 trillion cigarettes a year, with an estimated 4.5 trillion landing somewhere in the waste stream.

Mike Lasecki from King Conservation District, who recently spoke on Vashon about wildfire mitigation, will be present to answer questions about wildfires and the work he does with homeowners and fire prevention assessment.

The photo display will be up for one day only, during the First Friday Gallery Cruise.