dance flash @ the appeal: smuin ballet's fall/winter season 2009

this week's dance flash: smuin ballet's fall/winter season, which kicks off this weekend at the palace of fine arts.

"...Smuin's 'Medea,' follows a storyline that trumps even the juiciest of the original 'Melrose Place': there's love, lust, adultery, jealousy, rage, and mass murder. On Sunday, Susan Roemer's drama-queen Medea conveyed strength and a bald-Britney-wielding-a-baseball-bat-like craziness. True, I was saddened when she killed the Princess just steps from my feet, but minutes later, I was secretly rooting for her as Aaron Thayer's Jason met his demise. That debbie downer didn't last long, though, as the dancers took a short break and soon had me tapping my toes as they tossed their hats, twirled and waltzed across the floor, and strutted along to some of Frank Sinatra's best in Smuin's 'Fly Me to the Moon...'"

For the complete preview, go here.

Photo: Scot Goodman

dance flash @ the appeal: margaret jenkins dance company and who is paco gomes?

this week's dance flash.

"This week, I'm slinging two vastly different events at ya. Why, you ask? Well, I have grand delusions that San Franciscans want to jam-pack their weekends with dance performances galore. Or I think you, Mr. Tall, Blonde, and Cute-in-that-Cuddly-Bear-Sort-of-Way, need a few extra opportunities to impress Ms. Right with your cultural know-how. Either way, let's add some spice to your social calendar..."

dance flash @ the appeal: dandelion dancetheater's MUTT

this week's dance flash.

"Often times, I'm positive I've stunted my imagination. Cases in point:
The number of non-black work shoes that I own: Three
Did I rename my cat post-SPCA adoption? Nope
Years it took me to accept brown as a full-fledged color and not just what dirt looks like: 28

Thankfully, Eric Kupers and his local company Dandelion Dancetheater infuse out-of-the-blue originality where I would only contribute a dependable yet deplorable snoozefest. A while back, Kupers caused watercooler tittering with "The Undressed Project," a series of dances performed by Dandelion Dancetheater's wide ranging dancers of all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Oh, and the costuming included nada. That's right. Modern dance and dance theater in the buff. It proved to be quite the first-date night outing..."

dance flash @ the appeal: jesse hewit

this week's dance flash.

"San Francisco's arts scene is thriving in venues both large and small. Case in point: Mama Calizo's Voice Factory, a petite space located smack-dab between SOMA and the Mission, will present Jesse Hewit's "Total Facts Known" over the next two weekends. MCVF seeks to nurture the development of queer performers, educators, and activists by providing them with artist in-residence programs and arts programming.

Over the past few years, Hewit has presented work across the city including CounterPULSE, The Garage, and The LAB. Don't expect post-modern dance or perfectly pointed toes and big leaps; Hewit isn't here to make pretty pictures. Instead, he takes bold visuals, everyday gestures, and life-inspired theater, and molds them into a contemporary tale inspired by Anne Carson's "Autobiography in Red." Carson's story, described by "The New York Times" as a "hybrid work of poetry and prose," retells the Greek myth of Geryon, a winged red monster killed by Hercules. Hewit breathes flesh and blood into Carson's story while investigating the connections between knowledge and ability..."

folawole's "exposition of the heart"

my preview of folawole's "exposition of the heart" is up at sfappeal.com.