Dance gets on track this weekend with Kim Epifano's Trolley Dances, which begins in the Castro and travels up Market Street in San Francisco. Now in its fourth year, the dance festival is a site-specific moving installation curated by Epifano. It moves toward Civic Center, stopping at Muni stations along the way. Trolley Dances helps demonstrate how Epifano's company has gained its reputation as one of the Bay Area's most innovative dance companies.
It's an unusual gimmick, but one that appeals to a wide audience, as more than 1,000 people attended last year's festival. This kind of feedback inspires director Epifano to keep the event going, year after year. "We hear people say it's the best thing they've seen in months, and that they've never seen San Francisco revealed in the same way," she said. "People are so thankful for the experience."
Trolley Dances is the brainchild of Jean Isaacs, the artistic director of San Diego Dance Theater, and has been presented in San Diego annually since 1999. Epifano was invited to participate as a guest choreographer there in 2000, and again in 2003. Her participation inspired her to reflect on her hometown of San Francisco, famed for its cable cars and trolleys, and the potential to use Isaacs' model in a local context. "I thought that the project was just made for San Francisco," said Epifano. "So many dance companies here are on the leading edge of site-specific performance. I knew it could be a fascinating new way to showcase their work and animate the urban landscape."
Epifano developed the project as a way to introduce the Bay Area's diverse communities to contemporary dance. "Trolley Dances is a fun way to bring new audiences to dance, and dance to new audiences," she said. "It's about access to the performing arts. We have such a wealth of talent in the Bay Area, but so many individuals and families can't afford tickets or are unaware of dance performances. With Trolley Dances, the show comes to you, and all you need is your Fast Pass to see it."
This year, Trolley Dances taps an eclectic mix of local performers, including Jo Kreiter's aerial dance company, which begins the festival with a performance on the large "Life" mural painted on the wall of the Asqew Grill at 16th and Market Streets. Audience members then travel via the F-line historic trolleys to the UN Plaza Fountain in the Civic Center, where Paco Gomes and Dancers perform a piece exploring immigration. Epifano's company, together with guest musician Stephen Kent, renowned choreographer/dancer Robert Henry Johnson, and UC Berkeley's Bay Area Repertory Dance Ensemble perform at the labyrinth in Duboce Park. Also performing are Dudley Brooks' Run for Your Life! It's a Dance Company! and Rosie the Radiator, holder of eight Guinness Book of World Records Long-Distance Group Tap-Dance records.
San Francisco Trolley Dances run Sat. & Sun., Oct. 20 & 21. Guided performances leave from the Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Library (1 Jose Sarria Court, 16th near Market St.) every 45 minutes from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., and take approximately two hours to complete. Performances are free with a valid Fast Pass, or one-time fare of $1.50. More information at (415) 226-1139 or www.epiphanydance.org.
Special note: There's no seating available for any of the performances, and some moderate walking is required. All the performances are wheelchair-accessible.
Besides Trolley Dances, there's a lot of amazing dance happening in the Bay Area this weekend. Be sure to check out Bill T. Jones at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (calperformances.net). This is the first time Guangzhou has presented their new piece Mei Lanfang, and it will be an excellent opportunity to see some new work that is unlike anything we usually see in the Bay Area.