(This visual journal contains my personal opinion of the show, and it does not necessarily reflect Dan's intention on how the show should be viewed/experienced. The journal is best viewed on a desktop/laptop for optimal image layout and authentic visual experience.)

Last week, I had the opportunity to photograph Dan Mont-Eton and his dancers again, but this time in dress rehearsal, for "Homeward". I was excited because this time I got to shoot the whole dance (with lighting) and not just excerpts from it.

As I walked into Studio Theatre in the Rose Wagner Center - where the show was held, I was encompassed fully with the dark, somber environment that James Larsen had created with his lighting design. It was very clear from the mood of the space that "Homeward" journey was going to be a very personal one.

"In defining home, I discovered I was chasing something nonexistent. So in a sense, I became lost on this journey home... wherever that maybe." - Dan says in his program note. I don't know Dan that well, but his piece definitely resonates with me. Home is anywhere but a physical place. Sometimes, home is a fleeting moment. Sometimes, home is a warm touch that shields you from the turmoil in your head. Other times, home is a whisper saying everything will be alright. Home is a feeling! And Dan delivered exactly that.

I know for me, I left home so many times because there are storms within my home. Soon, I came to realize that these storms are formed inside my head, keeping me trapped from being able to reconcile with relationships around me - relationships that build 'home'. I see this mental trap/prison in James' visualization of the light pattern in the shape of the cells.

I just want to thank Dan for the opportunity to capture the motion and emotion, as well as his physical realization of the journey to home with his dancers - Samantha Matsukawa and Amy Falls. Thank you, James, for the lighting design that helps inject the mentality of the show into 2D photographs. Best of lucks to everyone, and I hope that I will be able to collaborate with you again in the near future.