The Dance Ecosystem: National Conferences & Conversations

IN THE DANCE ECOSYSTEM each individual role is reliant on another, requiring dialog and sharing. Ongoing conversations strengthen the relationships between dance artists, choreographers, administrators, presenters, funders and the press. […]

Becoming A Kathaka: Chitresh Das and the New Generation of Kathak Dancers

STUDY IN THE CLASSICAL NORTH INDIAN DANCE OF KATHAK IS A LIFETIME’S WORK. From the strength and vigour of the rhythmic footwork and fast-heel chakkars, or pirouettes, to the delicacy, […]

Legends Walk Among Us: A reflection on the cycles we dance, generation after generation

I recently met Ellen Webb when a colleague informed me that she owned a dance studio for rent insanely close to my West Oakland home.

ODC, Fabulous at 40

To celebrate ODC’s 40 years of dance-making and community building, we’ve asked founder and artistic director, Brenda Way, and co-artistic directors, KT Nelson and Kimi Okada, to share their thoughts […]

Did you know? Los Lupeños de San José

Los Lupeños de San José is one of the region’s many mexican folklórico companies and was founded in 1969 by Susan Cashion, Phd and Ramón Morones. After a variety of changes, […]

Speak: A Call to Move

At 39 years old, I am still a daddy’s girl. I still rely on his words of encouragement and I still aim to make him (and my mother) proud. From […]

New View with Dazaun Soleyn

Dazaun Soleyn is a teaching artist and choreographer in the Bay Area and is artistic director of dazaun.dance. Dazaun graduated from the University of South Florida with a BFA in […]

A ROVING ELEGY: The Anastasio Project

At the Eastside Arts Alliance’s rehearsal of The Anastasio Project, a multidisciplinary mobile public performance, young people are engaged in improvisational work that will eventually be a public offering. “Raw” is too […]

Sustaining the Field Through Change: Facilitate Community by Releasing Control

Reluctance to embrace innovation holds the field of dance in stasis. This reluctance (or hesitation) limits outreach, spreading and feeding what many call “fear of change.” My interest lies in […]

A Messenger Creating Community: An Interview with Nimely Napla

A loved and integral member of the Bay Area’s African dance community, Nimely Napla was born in Liberia in 1961 and began dancing for the Liberian National Dance Company in […]