Theater Artaud
Writer/performer Sten Rudstrom presents Theater of Cruelty in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the modern theater's greatest pioneers, Antonin Artaud. Rudstrom incorporates material from letters, poetry, plays and Artaud's life in and out of asylums, as well as sounds and music from the ethnic cultures most favored by him, such as Balinese, Native American and Tibetan, to express Artaud's often controversial, insane and radical vision.
Sep 48 and 1115, WedSun 8:30pm. $12.50-$16.50. 450 Florida St., 621-7797.
Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
Director/choreographer Amalia Hernandez captures the cultural heritage of Mexico with a rich and varied repertoire. This month, she presents a dance of two very different segments. The first is the story of the Tarahumaras, an indigenous group in Mexico's Chihuahua region famous for songs and dances based on springtime rituals. In the second, Hernandez expresses the joy of the people and their love of life in a more contemporary view of Chihuahua.
Sep 13, 8:00pm; Sep 14, 3:00 and 8:00pm; and Sep 15, 4:00pm. $25$55. Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St., 433-9500 or 776-1999.
Bay Area Dance Series
Showcasing 13 diverse companies and individual artists from the Bay Area, New York, Los Angeles and Quebec: explosive flamenco artist La Tania (Oct 1013); Dance by Neil Greenberg (Oct 1720; $14-$23, Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, SF); Michelle Spencer and Patricia Reedy & Dancers (Oct 2425); Campagnie de Danse L'Astragale and Ruth Botchan Dance Co. (Oct 2627); Mehmet Sander Dance Co. and Steamroller (Nov 1-3); Laura Elaine Ellis and Aisha Aku Dance Co. (Nov 78); StepFire TapDance Co. and I Am! Productions (Nov 910); and Yaelisa & Solera Flamenco Dance Co. (Nov 1417).
Tickets $14$20. Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland, 392-4400.
Cal Performances
Works by Pina Bausch, Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris are among this season's dance highlights from the East Bay's premier arts presenter. Opening the series is Tharp!, a new show by the high-octane modernist and a select group of 12 dancers. The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co. explores issues of race, gender, sexuality, life and death. The Margaret Jenkins Dance Co. performs Jenkins' latest work, Fault, based on her interviews with scholars on such subjects as physics, geology and art history. Also featured is a world premiere work by neo-expressionist German choreographer Pina Bausch based on her impressions of the American West, and Mark Morris' The Hard Nut, a wild, cheeky take on the classic Nutcracker.
Tharp!: Sep 2021, 8:00pm, and Sep 22, 3:00pm; $18-$40. Pina Bausch: Oct 35, 8:00pm; $34-$52. Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co.: Oct 2526, 8:00pm; $18-$30. Margaret Jenkins Dance Company: Nov 12, 8:00pm, and Nov 79 8:00pm; $20$28. Mark Morris Dance Group: Dec 14, 8:00pm; Dec 15, 3:00pm; Dec 1821, 8:00pm; Dec 21, 2:00pm; $34$52. Zellerbach Hall, U.C. Berkeley campus, Bancroft Ave., Berkeley, 510/642-9988.
Center for the Arts
Words On Dance produces live, onstage dialogues with notable artists in visual and performing arts. "Edward Villella: A Lifetime of Dance" is an evening with the former NYC Ballet superstar, featuring conversation, photographs and film and video clips documenting his career. Taking place on the lawn of Yerba Buena Gardens is "Fresh Dance," a series of new work by young choreographers curated by local sensation Robert Henry Johnson, offering an intimate experience for both performers and spectators.
"Edward Villella: A Lifetime Of Dance": Sep 8, 8:00pm; $15 gen., students and seniors $10. "Fresh Dance": Sep 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, 1:00pm; free. 701 Mission St., 978-2787.
Dancers Group/Footwork
Encompassing three programs is "The Dedication Project," a work the producers hope will "redefine the boundaries of dance." Branded by the tragedy of AIDS, the piece celebrates the astonishing creativity of Bay Area dance in paying tribute to artists the community has lost to the epidemic, such as Ed Mock. The program also includes made-for-video dances.
"Thinking Of You": Oct 1013, 6:00 and 8:00pm; free. "The Visceral Video Festival": Oct 2126, 6:00 and 8:00pm; $5; 3221 22nd St. "A Tribute To Ed Mock": Oct 1719, 8:00pm; $10$50. ODC Performance Gallery, 3153 17th St., 824-5044.
Gelassenheit
Through a combination of dance, music, theatre and philosophical text which relates to the ordinary person, Gelassenheit (German: a state of relaxation) premieres three works this season. Says founder and artistic director Philip Jones, an avid reader of philosophical works, "Ultimate knowledge is not the ability to see what is right or what is correct, but the ability to move. Through movement we see what is true."
Dec 36: Philosophical Disturbances (based on Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"); Apr 24-27: "Dance Envisions the Cure 3"; June 26-29: A Divine Comedy. All shows 8:00pm. $21.25 adv., $25 at door. Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, 861-7431.
Lines Contemporary Ballet
Lines celebrates its 15th anniversary with a world premiere by artistic director Alonzo King (title to be announced) and the company premiere of his work, Ground. Based in classical ballet and influenced by modern and ethnic forms, Lines is a group of daring and technically bold performers. Joining the company will be Christina Johnson, a principal dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem.
Oct 1827, 7:30pm. $1025. Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., 978-2787.
Oakland Ballet
This season's repertory program includes The Secret Garden, based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's mysterious and magical tale about two children brought together by fate in a Victorian home with intriguing gardens. Also featured are two ballets by Anthony Tudor and an encore of Nijinska's Bolero.
Program I, Le Train Bleu (Nijinska/ Milhaud), Jardin Aux Lilas (Tudor/ Chausson), Bolero: Sep 2728, 8:00pm; and Sep 29, 2:00pm. Program II, Dark Elegies (Tudor/Mahler), Diversions (Thiele/ Britten), Bow Out (Caniparoli/Bedford/ Powell): Oct 1819, 8:00pm; and Oct 20, 2:00pm. Program III, The Secret Garden: Nov 1516, 8:00pm, and Nov 17, 2:00pm. $6$36. Paramount Theatre, Oakland, 510/762-2277.
ODC Performance Gallery
The venerable performance space will host an eclectic range of shows this season, highlighted by the Wild Cabaret Series, featuring solo and group artists with influences as diverse as urban poetry, circus, butoh, flamenco, clog dancing and Chinese opera in two categories: Wild Women and Wild Clowns!
Huckabay McAllister Dance: Sep 67 and 1314, 8:00pm; Company Chaddick: Sep 2021 and 2728, 8:00pm; Dialogue With the Arts Community: Sep 22, 2:00pm; Pilot Project: Sep 26, 8:00pm; Wild Cabaret Series: Oct 2426, 8:00pm. Prices vary. ODC Performance Gallery, 3153 17th St., 863-9834.
SF Ballet
On tour this fall. Watch SF LIVE for a full preview of the company's new season starting in February 1997.
SF Performances
Canada's quicksilver O Vertigo Danse (Nov 1417) returns to open the Dance Series with Artistic Director Ginette Laurin's latest evening-length work, Deluge. The series also includes the Netherlands Dance Theater III (Apr 2427), Jiri Kilian's company of mature dancers at the pinnacles of their careers; David Rousseve/Reality (Feb 69), drawing on diverse backgrounds from hip-hop to classical ballet; and the Stephen Petronio Co., a group of daring, athletic dancers in original costumes which drew sell-out crowds last season.
Nov 1417, Feb 69, Mar 1216, Apr 2427. Times vary. Tickets $35$140. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., 398-6449.
SF State University
The Traditional Ethnic Dance and Music Celebration is an eclectic event featuring student performers and local professional companies and individuals performing a variety of dance and musical forms. Also featured is a senior showcase and "New Moves," original student choreography and jazz dance. One of the best dance bargains in town.
"Traditional Ethnic Dance & Music Celebration": Nov 12, 8:00pm; $8 gen., students and seniors $5; Little Theatre, Creative Arts Building. "Senior Showcase": Nov 1516 and 2223, 8:00pm, free w/voucher from McKenna Box Office, Gym 106. "New Moves": Dec 1314, 8:00pm, $6 gen., students and seniors $4.50; McKenna Theatre, Creative Arts Building, SFSU, 1600 Holloway Ave., 338-1442.
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