Only a hand-scrawled sign with the word 'Saliva' on an orange-and-white-striped construction barrier on Clementina Street hinted that there might be any kind of event going on Sunday night under the freeway.
But despite the chill, scores of people congregated under the graceful curving Fremont Street off-ramps, where performer and choreographer Keith Hennessy reprised his groundbreaking 1988 solo 'Saliva,' an inchoate mass of impulses, ideas, rage, humor and participatory episodes designed to elicit a response in the viscera.
San Francisco has a proud history of guerrilla art, and in the grand tradition, the police came by earlier in the day with a warning - lending a legitimizing whiff of the illegal to the proceedings. But with the air of a champion of public art in public places, Hennessy was characteristically unbowed.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Reworked 'Carol' a bit less inspired
A faint scent of spiced cider lurked in the air at the opening night of the American Conservatory Theater's "A Christmas Carol," the company's peppy seasonal favorite, calculated to dispense cheer and dispel the chilly midwinter gloom.
There would no doubt be a lump of coal in the stocking of anyone who'd grouse about a production that wears its merriment so prominently, and director Domenique Lozano keeps Charles Dickens' evergreen tale of Christmas redemption - adapted by Carey Perloff and Paul Walsh, with music by Karl Lundeberg and musical direction by Laura Burton - zipping along, without dwelling too much on any particular episode.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
'SenseScape': Chinese dance tradition updated
'SenseScape': Chinese dance tradition updated:
Traditional, classical Chinese dance gets a fresh flourish of energy in Lily Cai's newest creation, 'SenseScape.'
The Shanghai-born Cai is known for her blend of modern dance and Chinese influences, but whatever dance idiom she chooses, Cai's trademark is to give each work a unique texture. Cai - who founded her troupe in 1988 - credits the initial impetus of 'SenseScape' to composer Gang Situ, her longtime collaborative partner, who has created a partly original, partly sampled score for the work.
"It's about the human senses and the chi," Cai says, referencing the concept of energy and flow of life forces. "My technique itself is about the chi. In the past when I've choreographed, always I see an image first, but this time, I worked from the inside. I keep telling my dancers that the movement is just the result, like when you laugh or cry, you sense the sadness or happiness, then you start the action."
Main portion of the post
Rest of post here.
Traditional, classical Chinese dance gets a fresh flourish of energy in Lily Cai's newest creation, 'SenseScape.'
The Shanghai-born Cai is known for her blend of modern dance and Chinese influences, but whatever dance idiom she chooses, Cai's trademark is to give each work a unique texture. Cai - who founded her troupe in 1988 - credits the initial impetus of 'SenseScape' to composer Gang Situ, her longtime collaborative partner, who has created a partly original, partly sampled score for the work.
"It's about the human senses and the chi," Cai says, referencing the concept of energy and flow of life forces. "My technique itself is about the chi. In the past when I've choreographed, always I see an image first, but this time, I worked from the inside. I keep telling my dancers that the movement is just the result, like when you laugh or cry, you sense the sadness or happiness, then you start the action."
Main portion of the post
Rest of post here.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Left Coast Leaning Festival dazzling, dizzying
Before the curtain went up on Thursday night's opening of the Left Coast Leaning Festival, curator Marc Bamuthi Joseph noted that not only was the three-day event designed to highlight the work of artists from Pacific states, but he hoped that it would define a left coast aesthetic.
Set in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts flexible Forum space, with no proscenium and the vast, floor-to-ceiling backdrop only a few yards from the audience, the first challenge for the festival, co-presented by YBCA and Youth Speaks, was the limitations of, and possibilities afforded by, the space. The effect of video projected onto the backdrop was similar to sitting too close to an IMAX screen - exciting, even thrilling, but also a little nausea inducing.
Set in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts flexible Forum space, with no proscenium and the vast, floor-to-ceiling backdrop only a few yards from the audience, the first challenge for the festival, co-presented by YBCA and Youth Speaks, was the limitations of, and possibilities afforded by, the space. The effect of video projected onto the backdrop was similar to sitting too close to an IMAX screen - exciting, even thrilling, but also a little nausea inducing.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Filmmaker trains camera on Paris Opera Ballet
Filmmaker trains camera on Paris Opera Ballet:
Real life is the script for Frederick Wiseman, the documentary filmmaker, who turns his lens onto one of France's grandest institutions, the Paris Opera Ballet, in his latest film 'La Danse,' which opens Friday. Taking the viewer into the nooks and crannies of the Opera's venerable Palais Garnier and Opera Bastille, Wiseman observes the company in a 'fly on the wall' fashion - dancers in rehearsal, at rest, meeting with administrators, costumers dying swaths of fabric and meticulously beading elaborate costumes - uncovering stories large and small in the process.
Real life is the script for Frederick Wiseman, the documentary filmmaker, who turns his lens onto one of France's grandest institutions, the Paris Opera Ballet, in his latest film 'La Danse,' which opens Friday. Taking the viewer into the nooks and crannies of the Opera's venerable Palais Garnier and Opera Bastille, Wiseman observes the company in a 'fly on the wall' fashion - dancers in rehearsal, at rest, meeting with administrators, costumers dying swaths of fabric and meticulously beading elaborate costumes - uncovering stories large and small in the process.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Shrinking 'Nutcracker' to child size
Shrinking 'Nutcracker' to child size:
Like most people in the ballet world, the soft-spoken Mark Foehringer has had long experience with 'Nutcracker.' But with his latest production - which the Mark Foehringer Dance Project|SF will perform twice a day at the Zeum from next Sunday to Dec. 20 - he's hoping to capture the interest of young audiences with a child-scaled ballet that he describes as more like 'danced storytelling.'
Like most people in the ballet world, the soft-spoken Mark Foehringer has had long experience with 'Nutcracker.' But with his latest production - which the Mark Foehringer Dance Project|SF will perform twice a day at the Zeum from next Sunday to Dec. 20 - he's hoping to capture the interest of young audiences with a child-scaled ballet that he describes as more like 'danced storytelling.'
Q: Did the Zeum come to you with the idea of a "Nutcracker"?
A: Actually it worked the other way. We were putting together a long-term plan for the company, and one of the pieces of that plan was that we would do a show to help develop young audiences. Usually our shows are contemporary or abstract - more grown-up things, but we wanted to open up our work to kids.
One of the things I liked was that the theater at the Zeum was not in constant use. I think it was originally built as a teaching theater, and there have been workshops and some productions in it, but they hadn't had a lot that brought the theatergoing experience to that age range of 2 to 4 years old.
'The King's Only Daughter'
'The King's Only Daughter':
A thrilling energy blended with traditional storytelling is the heart of every performance by Oakland's Diamano Coura West African Dance Company. Colorful, ebullient and rich with infectious rhythms, Diamano Coura's latest show promises to be no exception as the company presents the U.S. debut of Nimely Napla's 'The King's Only Daughter.
In many West African communities, dance, music and theater blend not just with each other but also with daily life - an idea reflected in "The King's Only Daughter," which, Napla says, "is a dance drama, with music, song, everything together."
A thrilling energy blended with traditional storytelling is the heart of every performance by Oakland's Diamano Coura West African Dance Company. Colorful, ebullient and rich with infectious rhythms, Diamano Coura's latest show promises to be no exception as the company presents the U.S. debut of Nimely Napla's 'The King's Only Daughter.
In many West African communities, dance, music and theater blend not just with each other but also with daily life - an idea reflected in "The King's Only Daughter," which, Napla says, "is a dance drama, with music, song, everything together."
Diablo Ballet opens on solid ground
Diablo Ballet opens on solid ground:
With plucky reliability, Diablo Ballet opened its 16th season at the Lesher Center for the Arts over the weekend, performing three very different works that showcased the nine-member company's dependable energy and unflagging enthusiasm.
Central to the success of the program was George Balanchine's "Apollo," a great classic of 20th century ballet, which elevated matters to a level worthy of this sturdy company. As the Greek god of the title, Jekyns Pelaez is refreshingly naturalistic and playful, rather than stylized. More formal - if a trifle stern at times - was Tina Kay Bohnstedt's Terpsichore, whose softness and delicacy in a duet with Pelaez was one of the evening's highlights. If there's a complaint, it's that the tempos of the recorded music by Igor Stravinsky seemed to drag, particularly in the duet for Mayo Sugano and Jenna McClintock as the muses Calliope and Polyhymnia respectively.
With plucky reliability, Diablo Ballet opened its 16th season at the Lesher Center for the Arts over the weekend, performing three very different works that showcased the nine-member company's dependable energy and unflagging enthusiasm.
Central to the success of the program was George Balanchine's "Apollo," a great classic of 20th century ballet, which elevated matters to a level worthy of this sturdy company. As the Greek god of the title, Jekyns Pelaez is refreshingly naturalistic and playful, rather than stylized. More formal - if a trifle stern at times - was Tina Kay Bohnstedt's Terpsichore, whose softness and delicacy in a duet with Pelaez was one of the evening's highlights. If there's a complaint, it's that the tempos of the recorded music by Igor Stravinsky seemed to drag, particularly in the duet for Mayo Sugano and Jenna McClintock as the muses Calliope and Polyhymnia respectively.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Hip-hop dancers heat up the night
Hip-hop dancers heat up the night: It might have been a cold damp November night, but things were hot inside the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre as the 11th Annual S.F. Hip Hop DanceFest got under way Friday with the first of two weekend programs.
As the audience walked in, the mood was already enthusiastic as hip-hoppers from around the world messed around onstage and competed genially with each other. Of course, messing around in this case meant showing off acrobatic twisting turns in the air and sweeping balances on one hand.
Rest of post here.
As the audience walked in, the mood was already enthusiastic as hip-hoppers from around the world messed around onstage and competed genially with each other. Of course, messing around in this case meant showing off acrobatic twisting turns in the air and sweeping balances on one hand.
Founded in 1999 by Micaya, the three-day festival now attracts some of the best hip-hop crews in the world, but what's been the most impressive is to track the perceptible rise in level of groups who've long been part of it, such as Loose Change and the irrepressible New Style Motherlode.
In fact, the evening got off to a screaming hot start with New Style Motherlode's "Invasion Involved," a futuristic alien incursion - a sort of "Terminator - Rise of the Machines" tinged with bling. The Oakland company encompasses youth-oriented dance teams as well as an adult troupe, and for this effort multiple groups took the stage pulsating with an almost freakish energy. With densely interlocking choreography by, among others, co-directors Corey Action and Teela Shine-Ross, the ensemble's bag of tricks included tightly wound group work, a little bit of skateboarding and a stellar turn by martial artists James Solis and Richard Ines, who swiped through the air and tossed off corkscrewing double flips and 540-degree turns as if they were nothing.
Rest of post here.
Gary Masters gives ballet a modern spin
Gary Masters gives ballet a modern spin: "Veteran choreographer Gary Masters is perhaps best known for his modern dance work, but ballet is the idiom of choice for his latest, 'Fete for Three,' his third work for Diablo Ballet, which kicks off its 16th season at Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the Arts this weekend.
Masters - who is on the faculty at San Jose State University and also directs his own company, sjDANCEco - has deep connections to modern dance giant Jose Limon, who inspired him to found the Limon West Dance Project of San Jose, the West Coast ensemble of the Limon Company."
Masters - who is on the faculty at San Jose State University and also directs his own company, sjDANCEco - has deep connections to modern dance giant Jose Limon, who inspired him to found the Limon West Dance Project of San Jose, the West Coast ensemble of the Limon Company."
Tree Frog Treks at Paxton Gate: Get curious
Tree Frog Treks at Paxton Gate: Get curious: "Piquing natural curiosity is right there in the name of Paxton Gate's Curiosities for Kids, a magic toy shop tucked away on San Francisco's Valencia Street, between 18th and 19th streets. Amid twisted branches and vines and whimsical mounted stuffed animal heads, science kits, games, knitted octopuses, giant eyeballs and other provoking tchotchkes share the shelves with natural specimens."
Monday, November 16, 2009
An interview with DV8 Physical Theatre's Lloyd Newson
Lloyd Newson talks about "To Be Straight with You" on KALW Radio
I haven't done radio for a while, but I got the chance to interview Lloyd Newson last week on KALW's New America Now program.
I haven't done radio for a while, but I got the chance to interview Lloyd Newson last week on KALW's New America Now program.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
DV8's Newson discusses S.F. production
DV8's Newson discusses S.F. production: "Founded in 1986 by Australian-born Lloyd Newson - who studied psychology in Melbourne before joining New Zealand Ballet - DV8 Physical Theatre's unnerving and often raw work blends movement with text - sometimes provocative and unafraid to dive headlong into touchy topics like racism and religious intolerance."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Dance review: Strong beats from 'L7,' Fauxnique
Dance review: Strong beats from 'L7,' Fauxnique: "What makes rhythmic repetition so compelling in some instances and yet monotonous in others? This past weekend it was possible to spend each day visiting vastly different dance performances - at the Cowell Theater, at CounterPulse, at ODC - delivering a veritable blur of styles: modern, hip-hop, kathak, folklorico, flamenco, voguing. What sticks in the brain, though, are those moments when mere beats somehow crescendoed into a tidal wave, when rhythm not only reflected an individual pulse but also took on the force of a gestalt grouping."
Sunday, November 8, 2009
'The Walworth Farce'
'The Walworth Farce':
Everyone seems to agree that the main thing to know about Enda Walsh's critically acclaimed 'The Walworth Farce,' which the Druid Ireland theater company brings to the Cal Performances stage next week, is that it's OK to be lost and confused, right up through the intermission, maybe even into the second act.
"It's pure genius - it's everything you could want from a piece of theater," says director Mikel Murfi, with the sort of rapid-fire delivery that one imagines is embedded in the play itself. "It's hilarious at times, confusing at times, it's energetic, it's about what we are as people. It's explosive, tragic, incredible stuff. As a book, it was un-put-downable, although I have to say, the first time I read it, I was very, very confused as to what was going on."
Everyone seems to agree that the main thing to know about Enda Walsh's critically acclaimed 'The Walworth Farce,' which the Druid Ireland theater company brings to the Cal Performances stage next week, is that it's OK to be lost and confused, right up through the intermission, maybe even into the second act.
"It's pure genius - it's everything you could want from a piece of theater," says director Mikel Murfi, with the sort of rapid-fire delivery that one imagines is embedded in the play itself. "It's hilarious at times, confusing at times, it's energetic, it's about what we are as people. It's explosive, tragic, incredible stuff. As a book, it was un-put-downable, although I have to say, the first time I read it, I was very, very confused as to what was going on."
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Saturday stargazing at Lawrence Hall of Science
Saturday stargazing at Lawrence Hall of Science: "It's been 400 years since Galileo first pointed his telescope to the sky to look at the stars, and what better way to celebrate this International Year of Astronomy than by having a look at Jupiter, the planet that so mesmerized the great Italian astronomer.
The hills above UC Berkeley offer a fine vantage point for stargazing, and every first and third Saturday of the month, the Lawrence Hall of Science turns down the lights on the main plaza and sets up telescopes so astronomers amateur or professional can enjoy the heavenly show - a terrific opportunity to introduce kids to navigating the night sky and basic constellations."
The hills above UC Berkeley offer a fine vantage point for stargazing, and every first and third Saturday of the month, the Lawrence Hall of Science turns down the lights on the main plaza and sets up telescopes so astronomers amateur or professional can enjoy the heavenly show - a terrific opportunity to introduce kids to navigating the night sky and basic constellations."
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Isadora Duncan Awards
Isadora Duncan Awards: "Dohee Lee and Jo Kreiter will be honored for outstanding achievement by the 24th annual Isadora Duncan Awards, which recognize contributions to Bay Area dance between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009.
Lee will be honored for 'Flux,' an interdisciplinary piece commissioned by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Kreiter for 'The Ballad of Polly Ann,' a tribute to the women who built the Bay Area's bridges.
The Izzies also will pay homage to dancer Marc Platt, known as Marc Platoff during his years with the Ballets Russes, for sustained achievement. The Ashkenaz Music and Dance Center in Berkeley and pianist Roy Bogas, whose sensitive playing has enlivened many a San Francisco Ballet performance, will be recognized for their contributions to the Bay Area dance scene."
Lee will be honored for 'Flux,' an interdisciplinary piece commissioned by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Kreiter for 'The Ballad of Polly Ann,' a tribute to the women who built the Bay Area's bridges.
The Izzies also will pay homage to dancer Marc Platt, known as Marc Platoff during his years with the Ballets Russes, for sustained achievement. The Ashkenaz Music and Dance Center in Berkeley and pianist Roy Bogas, whose sensitive playing has enlivened many a San Francisco Ballet performance, will be recognized for their contributions to the Bay Area dance scene."
Monday, November 2, 2009
Trey McIntyre Project's whimsical show pleases
Trey McIntyre Project's whimsical show pleases: "For a moment, as a pair of red balloons made a buoyant ascent into the air, it almost felt like the dancers of the Trey McIntyre Project - which made its first West Coast appearance as a full-fledged company at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco's Kanbar Hall on Friday night - would float up next to them.
In many ways, McIntyre's 'Shape' - a helium-light, delightful interlude on a mixed program - epitomizes the kind of whimsical yet canny craft that has made McIntyre such a sought-after young choreographer."
In many ways, McIntyre's 'Shape' - a helium-light, delightful interlude on a mixed program - epitomizes the kind of whimsical yet canny craft that has made McIntyre such a sought-after young choreographer."
Friday, October 30, 2009
Experimental Exploratorium activates awe at 40
Experimental Exploratorium activates awe at 40: "A museum of ideas and playthings, of serious thinking and sheer aesthetics, of raucous shrieks of delight and quiet moments of discovery, the Exploratorium has striven to be more than just a typical science museum, to represent a culture of thinking differently - a place where art and science are not separate categories, but two sides of the same idea: comprehending the world around us.
Nowadays, it's nearly impossible to find a museum or educational institution that isn't employing the buzzwords 'interactivity' or 'hands-on.' But before Frank Oppenheimer opened the doors at the Exploratorium in the fall of 1969, museums were places with 'Do Not Touch' signs posted everywhere. Oppenheimer (the younger brother of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer) believed in learning by doing, in staying endlessly curious and in delighting in what the world had to offer, and much of the character of the Exploratorium is the thoroughly unpretentious character of the founder himself."
Nowadays, it's nearly impossible to find a museum or educational institution that isn't employing the buzzwords 'interactivity' or 'hands-on.' But before Frank Oppenheimer opened the doors at the Exploratorium in the fall of 1969, museums were places with 'Do Not Touch' signs posted everywhere. Oppenheimer (the younger brother of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer) believed in learning by doing, in staying endlessly curious and in delighting in what the world had to offer, and much of the character of the Exploratorium is the thoroughly unpretentious character of the founder himself."
Performing Diaspora Festival - beyond tradition
Performing Diaspora Festival - beyond tradition: "It was the Sufi poet Rumi who asked, 'When will you begin that long journey into yourself?' The 13 artists of CounterPulse's Performing Diaspora Festival, which begins next weekend have been on that journey for a year, and now dance audiences will have a chance to see snapshots of their trip. This ambitious new festival - which brings together artists from the Bay Area, Fresno and the Los Angeles/Pasadena area - has been as much about the process of creating the works as about the produced pieces that will be on the stage over the next three weekends."
Thursday, October 29, 2009
'HallowScreen': Classic spooky Disney cartoons
'HallowScreen': Classic spooky Disney cartoons: "We're looking for the new Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio, and after driving around the Main Post, we spot a pleasant-looking guy waving at us from the porch of a red brick building, indistinguishable from the other red brick buildings next to it, save for the discreet white sign."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Alonzo King's 'Refraction' dazzling jazz ballet
There's a whiff of pensive yearning, even nostalgia, to 'Refraction,' which Alonzo King's Lines Ballet premiered on Friday night at the Yerba Buena Center's Novellus Theater. Casual intensity weaves in and out constantly - a couple may enter hand in hand, but their relationship is as likely to drift away as coalesce into confrontation. Strolling gives way to fitful drives across the stage, paralleling the score by jazz pianist Jason Moran - who accompanied the nine dancers live with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits.
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Dance Review: Trolley Dances a San Francisco Treat
Bright blue skies favored the sixth annual Trolley Dances, the itinerant series of performances in various sites along the J-Church line from Dolores to Balboa parks on Saturday and Sunday.
Most people on the first tour - there were half a dozen excursions each day - seemed to know all about the event, but a few were drawn up the hill to the statue of Miguel Hidalgo by the music of Mexican folklorico dancers Rosamaria Garcia and Jorge Rodolfo De Hoyos Jr.
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
Most people on the first tour - there were half a dozen excursions each day - seemed to know all about the event, but a few were drawn up the hill to the statue of Miguel Hidalgo by the music of Mexican folklorico dancers Rosamaria Garcia and Jorge Rodolfo De Hoyos Jr.
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Alonzo King Lines Ballet season to premiere
The conversation is quiet but characteristically intense as Alonzo King and his dancers try to work out the shape of the rehearsal periods for the day. It seems that the creative drive and the relentless demands of Lines Ballet's schedule have bumped up against the physical realities for the nine company members - no one wants to interrupt the momentum as the company races to create two world premiere works, but there are corporeal limitations to consider, too.
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
Plus also check out the sidebar, What other artists say about Alonzo King
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
Plus also check out the sidebar, What other artists say about Alonzo King
Thursday, October 15, 2009
96 Hours Family: Petaluma Pumpkin patches
In the pristine world of Facebook's Farmville, nothing is ever dusty, there's no smell of manure and the pumpkins only take eight hours to grow. With Halloween fast approaching, though, the time is ripe to detach from the computers and take the kids out to pick pumpkins for real.This weekend, you don't have to brave traffic jams headed to Half Moon Bay's Art & Pumpkin Festival to get good jack-o'-lantern material. Consider, instead, heading to some of the working farms of Petaluma, like Peterson's Farm or Andersen's Organic Vegetable Stand and Pumpkin Patch.
Read more at the SF Chronicle website.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)