PALACE
Choreographic work — 2025
Commissioned by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Palace is a choreographic work by Vanessa Agle Isaac, created in collaboration with two-time Grammy Award–winning composer and musician Ted Nash. The work was commissioned by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in response to the exhibition Modern Life: A Global Artworld, 1850 to 1950.
Developed for live performance, Palace engages music and movement as a response to modern art, drawing inspiration from works by Pierre Bonnard, Wifredo Lam, Georgia O’Keeffe, and other artists featured in the exhibition.
Credits
Choreography & Direction: Vanessa Agle Isaac
Dancers: Arianna Hartanov, Vanessa Agle Isaac
Music: Palace by Ted Nash
Musicians: Ted Nash, Ed Smith, Trey Henry, Anthony Wilson
Commissioned by: Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Acknowledgment
This work was made possible through the generous support of Starr Siegele, who established a fund at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art to support dance as part of the Museum’s programming.
Press
The Santa Barbara Independent — Review
Jatila van der Veen
“A Superlative Collaboration of Art, Music, and Dance at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art”
“…it worked spectacularly. American jazz has its roots in African music, with the call-and-response patterns found there prominently featured in jazz. Isaac’s roots in Afro-Brazilian dance and music, as well as contemporary dance, connected perfectly with the piece she chose. The meticulous balance between synchronicity and asynchronicity, between harmony and juxtaposition, in her choreography were perfect expressions of the musicians’ performance.”
“And what an impressive collaboration it was! Hartanov is a highly accomplished ballerina as well as a skilled contemporary and lyrical dancer. Isaac is skilled in so many dance genres; her smooth-like-velvet style was beautifully complemented by Hartanov’s raw power. They were a perfectly matched duet, and I hope to see more of their collaborations in the future!”
Photography by Danny Gonzales