Exploring Parallax: TRBP's 2026 Season Where Perspective Becomes Movement

If you’ve ever looked at something twice and realized it changed because you changed… that’s parallax.

PARALLAX: When Perspective Becomes Movement is The Rosin Box Project’s 2026 season: a year-long invitation to experience dance as a shifting viewpoint, not a fixed image. Inspired by the phenomenon of apparent shift, the season frames each program as a distinct “lens”: a new way of looking, a new way of feeling, a new way of being in the room together.

Across four programs, PARALLAX moves between discovery and spectacle, process and performance, intimacy and transformation. Expect premieres, choreographic voices with range and edge, and audience experiences designed to feel immediate and alive. PARALLAX is less a theme than a practice: widening the frame, shifting focus, and revealing what becomes visible when perspective changes.

“Parallax begins the moment you realize the viewpoint matters,” said Carly Topazio, Artistic & Executive Director of The Rosin Box Project. “This season is an invitation to step closer, to let the work hit you from a new angle, and to feel how live performance changes when we experience it together. Each program is its own lens, and each lens reveals something different, about the dancing, about the artists, and about ourselves.”

The Four Programs of the Parallax Season

The season unfolds through four carefully curated programs, each offering a distinct way to experience dance.

Empower (March 20–22, 2026): A Prism of New Work

Opening the season from March 20 to 22, 2026, at the Light Box, EMPOWER acts as the prism that splits one beam into three premieres. Choreographers Carly Topazio, Jeremy Zapanta, and guest Adriana Pierce present new works that explore strength, identity, and transformation. This program invites audiences to see movement as a source of personal and collective power.

The performances highlight how shifting perspectives can reveal hidden layers in dance. For example, Topazio’s choreography plays with angles and spatial relationships, encouraging viewers to reconsider how bodies occupy and define space. Zapanta’s work blends cultural narratives with contemporary forms, offering fresh viewpoints on tradition and innovation.

Incubator Lab (May 29–31, 2026): The Making, Magnified

From May 29 to 31, 2026, also at the Light Box, Incubator Lab offers a rare glimpse into the making of dance. Featuring Bethany Green, Natasha Rader, and Alexandra Schooling, this program focuses on process rather than polished performance. Audiences witness rehearsals, improvisations, and collaborative experiments.

This transparency invites viewers to shift their perspective from passive observers to active participants in creation. Seeing the work in progress reveals the fluidity and intent behind every movement, emphasizing dance as an evolving conversation rather than a fixed product. Think of it as the season’s magnifying lens: up close, detailed, and alive with possibility.

DEBUTS (July 29–August 2, 2026): The Frame Wide Open

Summer expands the frame with DEBUTS, an audience-favorite program spotlighting bold new work by Jennifer Archibald, Christian Denice, and Carly Topazio.

Running July 29–August 2, 2026 at The Joan in Arts District Liberty Station, DEBUTS brings multiple choreographic perspectives into sharp focus, offering a high-energy snapshot of what’s next, where range, edge, and momentum share the same stage.

Ghost Light Masquerade (October 22–30, 2026): The Mirror Lens

The season culminates with San Diego's favorite Halloween tradition: Ghost Light Masquerade, an immersive, theatrical experience that turns performance into a mirror.

From October 22–30, 2026 at The Soap Factory, Ghost Light Masquerade returns to invite audiences into transformation, illusion, and ritual, where atmosphere becomes part of the choreography and the act of watching feels like stepping into reflection.

Why PARALLAX, Why Now?

PARALLAX asks audiences to do something simple, but surprisingly radical: shift your viewpoint.

Each program is built like a lens, changing what you notice, what you feel, and what stays with you after. Across premieres, process-forward experiences, and immersive performance, PARALLAX invites San Diego into dance that’s bold, close-range, and unmistakably alive.

FAQ: PARALLAX and 2026 Dance in San Diego

Where do the programs take place?

PARALLAX performances take place at Light Box (Liberty Station), The Joan (Liberty Station), and The Soap Factory.

Which program should I start with if I’m new to dance?

EMPOWER is a strong entry point: three premieres in an intimate venue, and the official kickoff of the season.

What makes Incubator Lab different from a typical performance?

It highlights process, letting you see how choreography evolves, not only the final polish.