DANCE

About this time last year, RAWdance blew in from somewhere east of the Sierras. Almost immediately, they – Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein, that is – started popping up all over the place, showing work in group programs, nailing down residencies, and performing individually with local companies such as Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, of which Smith is a regular member. This weekend they pair up with another Bay Area newcomer (by way of Chicago), dance-video artist Sheldon B. Smith, who brings 20 years of experience to his newest piece, Random Generator. As CounterPULSE's winter artist-in-residence, Smith worked on setting up an environment of complex, fluid, computer-generated images, into which he'll introduce improvisations by a quartet of Bay Area dancers. RAWdance's Per-verses takes on pornography: appreciatively, humorously, and analytically (as in, if it has been with us, and just about every other culture, for as long as we can remember, why is it still so much under the table?). Collaborating with RAWdance on this intriguing topic are a quartet of dancers, visual artist Shawn Tamaribuchi, and composer Chad Jones. (Rita Felciano)

SHELDON B. SMITH AND RAWDANCE

CounterPULSE, Thurs/2-Sat/4, 8 p.m.

1310 Mission, SF. $10-$15. (415) 626-2060, www.counterpulse.org