SPEAK: Differences

The Way You Look (At Me) Tonight is an international co-production by SF choreographer Jess Curtis and Scottish choreographer Claire Cunningham in collaboration with UC Berkeley philosopher Alva Noë, dramaturge Luke […]

In Practice: Encounters Over 60 with Margaret Jenkins

Merián Soto, Photo by Bill Hebert In October and November 2019, I saw the work of three remarkable New York-based artists: Adia Whitaker, Miguel Gutierrez, and Tere O’Connor. Although O’Connor […]

Dancing Through a Jewish Lens

How does being Jewish shape our lives and our work as dance artists? What do we have to contribute from a Jewish perspective? Just as I was finding my voice as a […]

Changing the Face of Dance Around the Female Body: An Interview with Krissy Keefer

In 1984, Krissy Keefer and Nina Fichter founded Dance Brigade to create and perform dance-theater that addresses the complex problems of contemporary American women. Prior, Krissy co-founded the Wallflower Order […]

A Conversation with Bill T. Jones

IN LATE AUGUST, I had the distinct honor of interviewing Bill T. Jones while he was enjoying a brief respite from his slate of touring, artistic direction and impresario-sized intellectual […]

Philanthropy Future/Present

Ten years from now: these things I know. New program officers will think they are smarter and funnier than their predecessors. Foundations will have undergone (at least once) strategic planning […]

‘Conference of the Birds’ Brings Together Dance Forms in San Jose

The Conference of the Birds originally was a medieval Persian poem by ‘Attar (“The Pharmacist”)—who influenced the younger, more famous poet and Sufi mystic Rumi—an allegory about the birds of the […]

The Symmetry Project: A non-linear, graphic embodiment of our performance process

LINEAR NARRATIVE INTRODUCTION JESS: Over the last three years Maria and I have created a series of studies we collectively named The Symmetry Project. They have been developed and performed […]

IMPRESSIONS: An Aural and Physical Expedition Through the Sounds of the World

THIS APRIL, natural soundscape artist/musician Dr. Bernie Krause and English composer Richard Blackford are collaborating on a world premiere with Alonzo King LINES Ballet set to an original composition by […]

The Salimpour School at 70: Belly Dance for the 21st Century

Surrounded by myths, misconceptions, and sometimes maligned, belly dance as we think of it today—with two-piece costumes baring the midriff, presented in restaurants and renaissance faires—is actually quite young. While […]