One of the advantages of living in a major metropolitan area is the close proximity of free cultural events, and the Bay Area is no exception. One of San Francisco's most under-recognized programs is the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, which produces over 100 free events every year, including the popular ChoreoFest, a lunchtime dance program offered every August.
Recently, ChoreoFest has been co-curated by local dance administrator Brechin Flournoy, who has enlisted other local dance curators, including Laura Elaine Ellis from the Black Choreographer's Festival, to contribute to the program. This year, Ellis has combined a unique group of artists to participate, including New Style Motherlode (hip hop dance), Elaine Chao (beat box), Marc Bamuthi Joseph (spoken word) and Sue Li-Jue (contemporary dance). Says Ellis, "That is what stimulates me as a curator for the program, the interaction I have with these incredible artists, creating an idea together that will blossom in performance."
The focus of this year's ChoreoFest is collaboration, and the artists were encouraged to explore their creative process by sharing ideas with each other. "The process has been exciting for me," says Ellis. "I facilitate and make suggestions on what may be possible. We all agreed at the beginning of this process that the collaborations had to come about organically. Ultimately, the artists will create what this program will be."
In an effort to make ChoreoFest diverse, the festival has invited a wide range of artists to contribute to this year's program [see box], including a Gamelan orchestra, West African dance and flamenco with tap dance. Audiences will be hard-pressed to find a more eclectic group of artists under one cultural umbrella.
New Style Motherlode [NSM] will be presenting excerpts from their full-length show Juke Joint, a piece that's been electrifying audiences and helped put NSM on the local cultural map. Juke Joint was choreographed by Corey Action with Teela Shine-Ross, and brings hip-hop dance into a theatrical environment, creating a fusion that is not only exciting but substantive. "It's raw, but controlled. That's what's people are attracted to," says Action. "We don't worry if it's right, we'll make it right, we just want to have fun with it."
Dance card
ChoreoFest 2006 takes place at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, 760 Howard St., SF. Phone: (415) 543-1718, www.ybgf.org. Free.
Sunday August 20, 1 p.m.
Sha Sha Higby (moving sculpture); Fellow Travelers Performance Group (dance/theatre); Soul Force Dance Company (hip-hop); Carmen Carnes Dance Ensemble (contemporary dance) with Anak Swarasanti (Gamelan Orchestra).
Monday, August 21, 12:30 p.m.
Leyya Tawil's Dance Elixir (contemporary dance); Alma Esperanza Cunningham Movement (contemporary dance).
Tuesday, August 22, 12:30 p.m.
Fua Dia Congo (West African dance); Destined to Dance (youth group).
Wednesday, August 23, 12:30 p.m.
Yaelisa Caminos Flamencos (flamenco); John Kloss of Stepology (tap dance).
Thursday, August 24, 12:30 p.m. (open rehearsal, Q&A).
Friday, August 25, 12:30 p.m.,
Saturday, August 26, 1 p.m.
New Style Motherlode (hip-hop); Elaine Chao (beat boxer); Marc Bamuthi Joseph (spoken word); Sue Li-Jue (contemporary dance).