Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry (415) 693-0583 / news@davidperry.com Obama Victory Brings Extra Excitement to 5th Annual Black Choreographers Festival www.bcfhereandnow.com February 6, 7 and 8 at Oaklands Laney College Theatre February 13, 14, 15 and 20 & 21 at San Franciscos Dance Mission Theater Annual Showcase Features Concerts, Master Classes and Workshops Raissa Simpson, Stephanie Powell (LA), Dahrio Hutton(LA), Rashad Pridgen, Luis Napoles, Isaura Olivera, Jaime Wright, Antoine Hunter and many more slated to perform 5 January 2009 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA: What a... show more

Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry (415) 693-0583 / news@davidperry.com Obama Victory Brings Extra Excitement to 5th Annual Black Choreographers Festival www.bcfhereandnow.com February 6, 7 and 8 at Oaklands Laney College Theatre February 13, 14, 15 and 20 & 21 at San Franciscos Dance Mission Theater Annual Showcase Features Concerts, Master Classes and Workshops Raissa Simpson, Stephanie Powell (LA), Dahrio Hutton(LA), Rashad Pridgen, Luis Napoles, Isaura Olivera, Jaime Wright, Antoine Hunter and many more slated to perform 5 January 2009 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA: What a difference a year makes. With Barack Obama in the White House, the 5th Annual Black Choreographers Festival (www.bcfhereandnow.com) has a lot to dance about, having come into its own as a fascinating festival with momentum on its side (San Francisco Chronicle). In February, the eagerly-anticipated showcase continues its trans-Bay celebration of black dance in its many forms of expression and many spheres of influence. For three weekends, BCFs Next Wave Choreographers Showcase will present emerging and mid-career artists from Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles. From February 6 8 the Festival brings traditional dance, ballet, modern, jazz and hip hop to Oaklands Laney College Theatre (900 Fallon Street) then for two weekends (February 13 21) at San Franciscos Dance Mission Theatre (3316 24th Street). There is a community spirit here, in the finest sense of the word (Voice of Dance) and chance to find standout choreographers whose work should be seen far more often (San Francisco Chronicle). The annual Black Choreographers Festival is a co-production of African and African-American Performing Arts Coalition and K*Star*Productions. The Black Choreographers Festival continues to champion the rich heritage of black dance while raising up new talent that is defining the next generation of black choreography, said BCF co-producer Laura Elaine Ellis. We are putting together programming that honors this next wave of artists concerts that are soulful, joyful, and beautiful. Legacy and Community continue to be on-going themes for BCF as we respond to the needs of artists in the Bay Area and beyond. The Oakland performances at Laney College on February 6, 7 & 8 will feature the following choreographers: Allan Frias, (San Francisco) Jamie Wright, (San Francisco) Dahrio Wonder (LA) Rashad Pridgen, (Oakland) Antoine Hunter, (Oakland) (fri & sun only) Roquisha Townsend, (Richmond) Tap (fri & sun only) The family matinee, at 3pm on Saturday, February 7 will feature Pre-Professional Youth Companies: Dimensions Extensions Performance Ensemble, Destiny Arts, On Demand and Diamond of New Style Motherlode Dance Studio The San Francisco performances at Dance Mission Theatre on February 13, 14 & 15 will feature the following choreographers: Luis Napoles (Vallejo) Serenity Mlay (San Jose) Isaura Oliveira (San Francisco) Michelle Ned (Oakland) (Fri & sun only) Tescia Ross (Oakland) (Sat & sun only) And others The San Francisco performances at Dance Mission Theatre on February 20 & 21 will feature the following choreographers: Raissa Simpson (San Francisco) Shelley Davis (Oakland) Cherie Hill (Colorado) Stephanie Powell (Long Beach) Carla Service (Oakland) (sat only) Kharyshi Wiginton (Oakland) (fri only) Afia Thompson (Oakland) (fri only) Jabris Rucker (Oakland) (sat only) Lakiesha Golden (Oakland) (sat only) *(All programs subject to change) BCF is not just about African American dance, said BCF co-producer Kendra Kimbrough Barnes. Rather, the Festival is about African American culture as a whole as seen through the eyes of a brilliantly diverse group of black choreographers. The Festival allows us to come together in solidarity to dance together, to learn from one another, and to celebrate a wonderfully enduring and vibrantly evolving art form. The Black Choreographers Festival: Here and Now is made possible in part by the generous support of the Zellerbach Family Foundation. Non-profit Art Organizations AAAPAC and K*Star*Productions have joined forces to present a comprehensive Festival celebrating the diverse artistic expression within the context of African and African American dance and culture. The festival strives to offer multi-faceted programming that addresses the needs of artists: networking, mentoring, training, outreach, and the community: affordable/accessible programming, cultural enrichment and arts education. Performances of the 2009 Black Choreographers Festival are February 6, 7 and 8 at Oaklands Laney College Theater (900 Fallon Street); February 13, 14, 15 and 20 & 21 at San Franciscos Dance Mission Theater (3316 24th Street). Friday and Saturday performances are at 8pm; Sundays at 7pm Family Matinee, Saturday, February 7 at 3pm. Post-performance curtain talks take place after Sunday evening shows on February 8 & 15. Tickets are $15 general; $10 children 12-and-under and for all tickets to Family Matinee. Tickets may be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com or by phone for the following locations: Laney College Theatre Box Office: (888) 819-9106 / San Franciscos Dance Mission Box Office.: (415) 273-4633. For more information go online to www.bcfhereandnow.com About the Black Choreographers Festival (BCF): The Black Choreographers Festival: Here and Now serves the community by providing a forum to increase the visibility of African American dance. BCF celebrates the ingenuity and uniqueness of African and African American choreographers by highlighting the importance of the African and African American experience in dance. BCF integral to the Bay Area arts community as it presents local and national artists in a series of contemporary and traditional concerts, showcases, mentoring, educational programs, community partnerships, symposia and archival documentation. BCF endeavors to foster a new generation of audiences and supporters to ensure the longevity of both established and emerging artists. For more information visit www.bcfhereandnow.com About The African & African American Performing Arts Coalition (AAAPAC): A San Francisco based non-profit organization, AAAPAC was founded in 1995 by a collective of artists who were looking to create better performance opportunities for African and African American performing artists as well as produce shows that reflect the aesthetic and cultural representation of the African and African American experience. As AAAPACs executive director, Laura Elaine Ellis has co-produced successful events such as the Labor of Love Dance Series, The Quilt Project: Pieces of Me, and the Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now. Funding Awards for past projects include: San Francisco Grants for the Arts, CA$H, The Creative Work Fund, The Irvine Foundation, Zellerbach Family Fund, The Walter and Elise Haas Fund and the LEF Foundation. About K*Star*Productions (K*S*P): Kendra Kimbrough Barnes founded K*S*P in 1996. The mission of K*S*P is to make cultural exchange experiences accessible to the community at large with a focus on African-American constituents. K*S*P attains this goal by forming alliances, traveling, producing concerts & master classes, hosting public symposiums, and providing professional development services. K*S*P has produced 12 seasons of the Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble and has received funding awards from the Zellerbach Family Fund, Oakland Cultural Arts, the Irvine Foundation, the Alameda Arts Commission, and the East Bay Community Foundation.

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