"For those who’ve suffered at the receiving end of casebolt and smith’s target subject, it’s like a breath of fresh air and also side-achingly funny. But it’s the clever way the pair integrate themes of gender identity/stereotyping and pose questions about artistic appropriation and the very nature of “contemporary” that add texture to O(h) and leave lots of food for thought. It’s a dance fan’s must-see." – Toronto Star 7/13
They talk and dance. They sing and dance. And sometimes, they just dance. Liz Casebolt and Joel Smith craft duets that reveal a shared commitment to artistry and experimentation. The two move between chatty and scripted conversation, with each other and the audience, offering honest insights into their choreographic methods and collaborative rapport. Established in 2006, casebolt and smith is a platform for collaborative research, and their work plays with the gender and sexuality politics embedded in male/ female partnerships and comments on the sometimes overly serious traditions of modern and contemporary dance. casebolt and smith is on a mission to share their work with broad and diverse audiences through performance, teaching residencies and commissions.
original choreography - premieres
2019 Close. Marsee Auditorium, El Camino Center for the Performing Arts, Torrance, CA
2018 Daphne of the Dunes. MicroFest, REDCAT Theater, Los Angeles, CA
2018 (the) More i see. Tempe Center for the Arts, Tempe, AZ
2016 Too Squared (full) + Double Exposure. RAWdance, ODC Theater. San Francisco, CA
2015 Too Squared. Walking Distance Dance Festival, ODC Theater. San Francisco, CA
2014 some of its parts. Spring Concert, Redfield Proscenium Theater. Reno, CA
2014 ...in space. Spring Concert, Los Angeles Valley College Theater, Los Angeles, CA
2013 Having Words V.2. Dance Bytes Series, Auditorium Theater’s Katten-Landou Studio. Chicago, IL
2012 In Other Words...for six. American College Dance Festival, Performing Arts Center. Modesto, CA
2010 O(h). Inbound Festival, Joyce SoHo. New York, NY
2009 two minute duet to open the show. Fringe Festival, Southern Theater. Minneapolis, MN
2008 In Other Words. New Dance Festival, Saint Joseph Ballet Theater. Santa Ana, CA
2008 Having Words. California Touring Project, Diavolo Dance Theater. Los Angeles, CA
2006 Second Skin. Popped!, Highways Performance Space
2006 Way Words. CONDER/dance Festival, Mesa Arts Center. Mesa, AZ
2006 After Words. Anatomy Riot, Zen Sushi. Silver Lake, CA
2005 No No, She's Straight!. Hysterica Dance Company Benefit, Focus Fish Studios. Hollywood, CA
2005 In the space provided. Phoenix Dance Festival, Phoenix Theater. Phoenix, AZ
creative residencies
2019 El Camino College Center for the Arts, Teaching and Performance, Oct 17-19
2016 Dance Round Table Festival. Taipei, Taiwan. Teaching and Performance, Jan 22-Feb 1
2014 Echo Echo Dance and Movement Festival. Derry, N. Ireland. Teaching and Performance, Nov 10 -15
South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center. Miami, FL. Teaching and Performance, May 20-22
92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Festival. New York, NY. Teaching and Performance, Feb 28 – March 1
University of Nevada, Reno. Reno, NV. Teaching, Commission and Performance, Jan 28 - May 4
2013 DanceWorks Chicago, Chicago, IL. Teaching, Commission and Performance, Nov 5-10
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University. St. Cloud, MN. Teaching and Performance, Mar 11-16
2008 Cal Arts Commuter Festival. Valencia, CA. Teaching and Performance, Oct 1-3
2006 Hothouse Residency UCLA. Los Angeles, CA. New Work Development and Showing, Aug14 –Sept 1
performances: Festivals, Series, Conferences and /or Venues
Marsee Auditorium, El Camino Center for the Performing Arts, Torrance, CA
MicroFest, REDCAT Theater, Los Angeles, CA
Tempe Center for the Arts, Tempe, AZ
Dance Round Table Festival, Taiwan National Theater (Experimental Black Box). Taipei, Taiwan
Echo Echo Dance and Movement Festival. Echo Echo Theatre. Derry, Northern Ireland
University of Nevada, Reno. Reno, NV
Cabaret Series, South Miami Dade Performing Arts Center. Miami, FL
92 St. Y Harkness Dance Festival Stripped/Dressed Series, Buttenwieser Hall, New York, NY
Dance Bytes Series, Auditorium Theater’s Katten-Landou Studio. Chicago, IL
ODC Theater San Francisco, CA
Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Rachel Browne Theater. Winnipeg, Canada
Toronto Fringe Festival, Helen Phelan Gardiner Playhouse. Toronto, Canada
Walking Distance Dance Festival, ODC Theater Studio B. San Francisco, CA
Spring to Dance Festival, Lee Theater. St. Louis, MO
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. St. Cloud, MN
Performing Arts Exchange, Little Haiti Theater. Miami, FL
CARS Resources, West Hollywood Library. West Hollywood, CA
ARTSblock, Culver Center of the Arts. Riverside, CA
St. Joseph's College. Brooklyn, NY
Actors Company Theater. Los Angeles, CA
Pentacle Gallery Showcase, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. New York, NY
Contemporary Arts Forum. Santa Barbara, CA
Scripps College, Balch Auditorium. Claremont, CA
Five Fifths Minnesota Fringe Benefit Concert, Ritz Theater. Minneapolis, MN
Dance Moves Festival, Old Town Temecula Theater. Temecula, CA
Pentacle Showcase, Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy High School. New York, NY
Fringe Festival, Southern Theater. Minneapolis, MN
University of Surrey. Guildford, England
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Circus School. Belfast, N. Ireland
Echo Echo Dance Showcase, Echo Echo Studio. Derry, N. Ireland
Dance Theatre of Ireland Showcase. Dublin, Ireland
Backtrack Dance Series, ATHD 102, University of California, Riverside. Riverside, CA
Inbound Festival, Joyce SoHo. New York, NY
Vancouver International Dance Festival, Roundhouse Theater. Vancouver, CAN
Anatomy Riot, Zen Sushi. Los Angeles, CA
The Moth, Farmlab/Metabolic Studio. Los Angeles, CA
California Touring Project, Diavolo Dance Space. Los Angeles, CA
Looking Left Dance Festival, 418 Project. Santa Cruz, CA
Commuter Festival, Cal Arts Theater. Valencia, CA
Eleven Missing Days Festival, Unknown Theater. Los Angeles, CA
Performance Mix Festival, Joyce SoHo. New York, NY
California Touring Project, CounterPulse. San Francisco, CA
New Dance Festival, St. Joseph Ballet. Santa Ana, CA
California Touring Project, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. La Jolla, CA
Breaking Ground Dance Festival, Tempe Center for the Arts. Tempe, AZ
Faculty/Alumni Concert, Garrison Theater. Claremont, CA
4 x 4 Series, Sushi Performing Arts. San Diego, CA
Now Here This Concert, Performance Lab UC Riverside. Riverside, CA
Popped!, Highways Performance Space. Santa Monica, CA
Conder/Dance Festival, Mesa Arts Center. Mesa, AZ
Burnight Theater Center, Cerritos College. Norwalk, CA
Center Dance Ensemble Festival, Herberger Theater. Phoenix, AZ
Hothouse Residency, UCLA. Los Angeles, CA (1 performance)
Dance Under Construction 8, Performance Lab. Riverside, CA
Scorpious Dance Theater Festival, Phoenix Theater. Phoenix, AZ
Hysterica Company Benefit, Focus Fish Studios. Hollywood, CA
performances of our work by others: dancers and/or companies and venues
RAWdance at ODC Theater. San Francisco, CA
RAWdance at Walking Distance Dance Festival, ODC Theater. San Francisco, CA
Dancers at LA Valley College, Spring Dance Concert. LA Valley College. Los Angeles, CA
Dancers at University of Reno, Nevada. Spring Dance Concert. Reno, NV
DanceWorks Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art. Chicago, IL
DanceWorks Chicago, Stadttheatre. Aschattenberg, Germany
DanceWorks Chicago, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. Chicago, IL
DanceWorks Chicago, Auditorium Theater’s Katten-Landou Studio. Chicago, IL
Dancers at Scripps College, Garrison Theater. Claremont, CA
Dancers at Scripps College, Performing Arts Center. Modesto, CA
for more information, visit caseboltandsmith.com