“Somewhere,” the last new creation for the last ever Danceworks concluded with a standing ovation after a rousing performance by creators Doug Varone and Dancers. The evening was also a celebration of 22 years of Dianne Vapnek’s tireless efforts to make Santa Barbara a mecca for dance on the west coast, a place to foster the creation of new works by some of the most respected choreographers and companies in the world. Before the final curtain descended, there were performances of pieces in the Varone and Dancers repertoire, including the luminous Lux (created in Santa Barbara during Summerdance 2006) followed by a projected video history and imaginative iPhone thankyous to Dianne from many of the participants in Summerdance and Danceworks, her two signature residency programs. I, like many present, felt a bit of sadness about this finale to something I have been a part of for 20 of those magical festivals, but overall it was a fittingly joyous closing for Dianne’s creation, ending on a high note for sure.
