HIDE AND SEEK
Fall 2014
"Hide and Seek" is a dance/theatre work that explores how our children are cared for in our community through the eyes of the child, family, and system. In partnership with staff from the Bellingham School District, Brigid Collins Family Support Center, the Parent Child Institute of Whatcom County, The Whatcom Family and Community Network, and numerous individuals, the evening includes nine stories that share a wide range of perspectives and situations where the care of children is examined through dance and film. These true stories, from our neighbors, help us understand the complexities of caring for our young. Using dance as the vehicle for delivering these stories, performers provide a revealing, sensory experience that makes public those things we don't normally talk about.
As is typical in Kuntz's work, the piece combines the talents of professional performers with the community members whose stories are being told. Hide and Seek features Bellingham artists and Kuntz and Company collaborators Ian Bivins, Cara Congelli, Jaynie Hancock, Angela Kiser, Pam Kuntz, Ella Mahler, and Richard Scholtz.
"Hide and Seek" enjoyed six performances at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center in Fairhaven October 2014 as well as a performance for the GATES FOUNDATION BUILDING COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY INITIATIVE in Seattle, WA at the Seattle Repertory Leo K. Theatre on January 14th, 2015.
“Hide and Seek, the new Kuntz & Company show, is not to be missed by anyone who is passionate about children and the health and wellness of our community. Go! Get your tickets today!!! Your heart and mind will be inspired and moved by the difficult topics of caring for foster children, child abuse and the opportunities that are ahead of us to make real lasting change in our community. I loved the show so much I am going again!”
“Congratulations to Kuntz and Company for your multi-media dance performance! You remind us that love is a risk we all share, no matter what our ages. To love our children well in Whatcom County we can do no better than to attend Hide and Seek, seeking lessons from your interviews and masterful production.”
HIDE AND SEEK Photography: JM Works
“Throughout the entire performance I never lost sight of the hope and the vision of a brighter future for children and families.”
“Hide and Seek has the courage to address the difficult topic of child abuse and neglect and explores this multi-dimensional problem with kindness and thoughtfulness. Kuntz and Company’s choreography and visual metaphors are captivating and I left the theater with feelings of hope and compassion for the children of our community.”
“Hide and Seek captured the beauty and the gift of loving children – my own and ALL children. It was very, very moving, and it touched my heart in a joyful way.”
“A beautifully realized work combining Dance, Music and Visual Art telling the complex stories of children and families in our community. You will not see better work in San Francisco or Seattle!”
“Kuntz and Company gives a voice to abused children and their parents through a work that can be described as powerful, respectful, moving, and engaging.”
Hide and Seek was supported in part by Brigid Collins Family Support Center, The Leopold Ballroom, The Community Food Co-Op, The Whatcom Family and Community Network, a grant from the Whatcom Community Foundation, and a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
