The Draw(back) of Awarding Achievement

Contributor note: Unattributed quotes were shared with me anonymously as research for this piece. Around this time every year we are inundated with being told what the “best” of the […]

Keeping and Creating Arts Space with CAST

For me, it begins with DANCE. And it’s dance, performance, and teaching that expanded my lens of the arts, my commitment to it, and passion for it.Rooted in the spiritual, […]

Heavens’ Coming to the Bay: An Interview with Miguel Gutierrez

Arriving on the West Coast in June, as part of a teaching/performing tour, Miguel Gutierrez will present his newest work, HEAVENS WHAT HAVE I DONE; the piece has been performed […]

we done/come home: a ritual prayer for belonging

House/Full of Blackwomen Photo by Robbie Sweeny. [ID: A Black woman with her eyes closed sits in a blue armchair with her head slightly leaning to the side. On the […]

at some point

The following are twelve moments that ping pong through time to reflect on our past, present, and future selves. 

Turn Around to See What’s Coming Next: A Conversation with Brenda Way about ODC’s 45th Anniversary

DURING A RESIDENCY at the American Academy in Rome, ODC’s Founder and Artistic Director Brenda Way remarked on the way early Romans conceived of the future, not by looking forward […]

Tips for the Business of Dance: Making Your Resolutions Real

It’s that season again when people dream of getting fit, learning a new skill, or accomplishing something grand in their personal or professional lives. After all, looking toward the new […]

Dancing Diplomacy; One Woman’s Journey to the Heart of Kathak

The traditional Kathak solo is alive and well. In India? Maybe not. But in California, yes! In 1992, I wandered into Pandit Chitresh Das’ Kathak class at SFSU when I […]

Shawl-Anderson Dance Center: Celebrating a Half-Century of Making Dance and Community

In 1958, dance class was $2 at the studio Frank Shawl and Victor Anderson started above a liquor store on College Avenue in Berkeley. Adjusted for inflation, that means they […]

What’s in a Name: The Legacy of Everybody’s Creative Art Center

The 1970s were a time in America when black people awakened to their African heritage and were taking on new names more fitting their history and characters. For dancer and […]