Wherever a traveler’s point of origin, Union Station has been home to many personal arrival and departure stories since opening in 1939.

To celebrate these stories, join Metro Art Presents on Thursday, April 22, at 7 p.m. for the premiere of BAGGAGE by acclaimed dancer and choreographer Jay Carlon. You can watch the film’s premiere on Metro’s Facebook, Metro Art’s Facebook, and Union Station’s Facebook and YouTube channels. RSVP for reminders on Eventbrite.

Carlon was named as one of the 25 dancers to watch in 2020 by Dance magazine. He collaborated with Grammy Award-winning musician and composer Alex Wand on a live-score and sound design for the film.

BAGGAGE is a theatrical dance film that was developed onsite at Union Station during a two-week residency by Carlon and Wand.

The film opens with the Philippine proverb, A person who does not remember where they came from will never reach their destination. Using his personal family story, Carlon uses dance to recall the story of other travelers who have passed through the station.

Vintage suitcases come to life through dance and sound, including voice messages from Carlon’s mother. Oral history from the Re/Collecting Project Archive at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which retraces stories of Filipino immigrants.

BAGGAGE highlights how the arts are essential to telling of meaningful stories in shared public spaces.

BAGGAGE is the final program in Metro Art Presents series Moving Through, which featured four dance and movement pieces this month. The programs were a collaboration with Pieter Performance Space. Watch the first three programs here.

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UPDATE 4/22: Here’s the performance!