The Black Choreographers Festival 2010 announces a star-studded celebration with choreography by some of the most daring choreographers of our time! This includes artistic director of Push Dance Company, Raissa Simpson. See the whole Article click here
Dance Mission Theater February 19 ,20 & 21 will feature the following choreographers:
Adia Whitaker - New York Robert Henry Johnson - San Francisco Deborah Vaughan - Oakland Reggie Savage - Oakland Chloe Arnold - Los Angeles Raissa Simpson - San Francisco Corey Action Harris - Oakland Amara Tabor Smith - Oakland Tania Santiago - San Francisco Roseanglea Silvestre w/ Kendra Kimbrough Barnes - Brazil/Oakland
Raissa Simpson is the 2010 CHIME recipient! She will receive funding for one-year to work with dance educator and choreographer Cathleen McCarthy.
CHIME Recipients Announced
SF Bay Area recipients are: Christian Burns, independent dance artist and Co-Founder of The Foundry and RAWdance Co-Founders Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein; Choreographer and dance educator Cathleen McCarthy and Raissa Simpson, Artistic Director of Push Dance Company; and Charya Burt, choreographer, teacher and founder of Charya Burt Cambodian Dance, and choreographer and dancer Tara Catherine Pandeya.
Raissa Simpson, artistic director of Push Dance Company, was last seen as Mr. Jones in Jacinta Vlach’s very successful work, “Animal Farm,” on its way to Jacob’s Pillow. Some of you might have caught the excerpt as a part of the Living Word Project last year, which I loved. Story was the focus in the 2008 preview, where now, with the more developed characters and dance pieces - solos and company numbers set against a lovely musical score and a changing visual landscape, light and dark images projected on a blank wall - the work has shifted from literal to abstract.
Taken as a completely separate work, withholding the inclination to compare one to the other, this “Animal Farm” aesthetically succeeds, attributable to a fine cast, among them, Michael Velez, as Old Major, Rashad Pridgen as Napoleon, Jacinta Vlach as Snowball, Lynda Gutierrez as Sqealer, Jetta Martin as Boxer and Takeo Wong as Clover and, of course, Raissa Simpson as Mr. Jones.
I enjoyed Simpson’s portrayal of the ousted farmer in the Orwellian tale, where animals take over a farm. In the first solo in the work, marvelously choreographed and produced, Simpson’s excellent performance set the tone for the high level of dance/theatre to come.
Push Dance Company’s annual home season opens with “Mixed Messages,” May 2-3, 8 p.m., a lush evening length work on multiracial America. “Mixed Messages” explores messages of race, power and identity through dance, video art and atmospheric sound. Collaborators include video artist Marlon Sagana Ingram, Third Street Youth Center and Clinic, soundscape artist Kyle Canfield and pianist Joo Wan Kim.
The program is at ODC Dance Commons, 351 Shotwell St., San Francisco. Tickets are $18 general, $15seniors, students and children 12 and under. Tickets are available online and by calling (415) 863-9834.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Mixed Messages 3rd St. Youth Center & Clinic with Push Dance Company explore mixed race in America.
Mixed Messages directed and conceived by Raissa Simpson and Marlon Sagana Ingram .
Soundscape by Kyle Canfield and Piano performance by Joo Wan Kim
May 2-3, 2009 Saturday- Sunday 8:00pm Post-discussion following performance, ODC Commons map ODC Box Office 415-863-9834, sliding scale $18-$25 Groups of 10 or more $15, contact Jamie 415-673-8270
Mixed Messages is co-commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Arts & Community: Innovative Partnerships, the Zellerbach Family Foundation in combination with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation & individual support.
Northwestern Tour David Herrera Performance Co. with Push Dance Company Washington Ensemble Theater, 206-325-5105 Seattle, Washington, April 10-11, 2009
Push Dance Company presents an excerpt from Mixed Messages, an energetic display of emotional unity and disconnect following individuals made of mixed race.
Artistic Director, Raissa Simpson works with instincts, improvisation, power, with the intent of keeping dance specific, relevant and alive. 15% off for Friends of Push. $30-$75 Open to Int-Adv Students. Call SAFEhouse at 415-885-4006 to Register.
★3-days, Jan 18, 25, Feb 1, 2009 | www.975howard.com
Push Dance Company presents an excerpt from its newly produced Mixed Messages, an energetic display of emotional unity and disconnect following individuals made of mixed race.
"When is Push performing again?" An enthusiastic cry from a dance friend/ patron yesterday. Driving over the beautiful Bay Bridge looking at gleaming water over the coast, I realized a lot is coming up.
Up Next is 2nd Sundays, and a lecture/ demonstration of the multimedia solo Judgments In Milliseconds. At that moment, I began to realized that after our home season we're in for some fun and excitement. We look forward to a few more mixed bill performances and sharing full length performances with some exciting dance companies.
We're still digesting the fact that a new work is starting in October and the rest of year we can expect a lot of fascinating community outreach. Dancers' Group and CounterPULSE's 2nd Sundays is a wonderful introduction into discussing dance for novices and experts alike. What a great way to welcome in September.
