BASE Residency Press Release
BΛSE Residency Press Release
PUSH DANCE COMPANY
BASE Residency Media Alert
| Five Resident Artists will lead workshops from March through April. Local teaching artists and cultural practitioners advance Black, Indigenous, People of Color dance practices. |
February 3, 2023
NEWS MEDIA INVITED TO COVER AUDITIONS AND PUBLIC PERFORMANCES
PUSH Dance Company hosts inaugural BASE Residency at new location and home in downtown San Francisco
- Five workshops to be offered this March through April take place at PUSH’s new home at 477 Minna Street in downtown San Francisco
- A dance audition Saturday, February 25, 2023
- Public performances Sunday, Apr 23, 2023 at 1:00pm and 3:00pm at the 5M Park’s outdoor stage [address]
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – PUSH Dance Company will host five Resident Artists ranging from Hip Hop, Latin Contemporary to Bharatanatyam and Philippine Folk Dance. The BASE Residency engages five early-career dance and performance BIPOC & QTBIPOC teaching artists in artistic and pedagogical activities that empower them to engage with their community at large, lead performance workshops and ultimately create a final performance. The BASE residency is a pilot program of PUSH Dance Company’s BASE Network, funded by the California Arts Council.
The five 2023 BASE residents include: Nitya Narasimhan, Héctor Jaime, Danielle Smith, Ethan Clyde “Clover”, and Kim Requesto. These Resident Artists will gather a group of dancers and explore themes relevant to their cultural practices and BIPOC & QTBIPOC communities. The residencies provide the artists with the opportunity to focus with intention on culturally specific work, dancers and themes in the supportive and experienced atmosphere of PUSH Dance company’s xx years of history and artistic innovation and integrity. Resident artists will have the added benefit of peer interaction with each others and members of the PUSH Dance Company extended dance and cultural communities.
“The PUSH Dance Company BASE Residency locates the work and cultural practices of teaching artists who hail from communities of color,” says PUSH founder Raissa Simpson “PUSH Dance Company is bringing together five early career cultural practitioners to deepen their artistry and bond within the local community. We’ll center BIPOC & QTBIPOC voices while providing space in our new BIPOC sanctuary for these educators to showcase their talents.”
Each workshop is designed and crafted by the Resident Artists. The group began a partnership with the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST), moving into the 3rd floor of the CAST building’s multi-tenant hub. The workshops will culminate into a BASE Residency Showcase at the 5M Park’s outdoor stage, located at [address] PUSH Dance Company is hosting this inaugural residency in its new home. The park is adjacent to PUSH Dance Company’s new BIPOC sanctuary.
Media Inquiries:
Scott Horoon
Publicist
bluescott260@hotmail.com
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ABOUT THE RESIDENT ARTISTS
Nitya Narasimha (she/her) is artistic director of the “Prayukti Arts“, a forum to nurture an intentional community across the Bay Area through Indian classical dance classes and performances, and movement-based community events.She graduated with a Post Diploma in Movement Arts and Media from the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts. Nitya currently continues her pursuits of bharatanatyam with Smt Shweta Prachande.
Héctor Jaime (they/she/he) was born and raised in Mexicali, Baja California, México. They graduated from the Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet BFA Program. Post graduation, they became a member of Sean Dorsey Dance and Dawson Dance SF. Hector founded Xochipilli Dance Company making their debut in the summer of 2022.
Danielle Smith (she/her) is an Oakland-based dancer and educator from “the 216”–better known as Cleveland– and holds a B.A. in dance & social justice from the University of San Francisco. Her credits include the 2022 Hip Hop Artist Resident in Training showcase with Zaccho Dance Theatre/PUSH Dance, performing for Drag King Major Hammy, and Afrobeats artist Oghodo General, among others. Most recently, Danielle danced for PUSH Dance Company in San Francisco.
Ethan Clyde (he/him) is a performer, choreographer and dance educator. Clyde has trained in modern dance, jazz, ballet, vogue styles, and Umfundalai, a contemporary pan-afro Caribbean dance technique. With his training and passion for dance, he has explored the art form through performance dance films, stage choreography, and dance education.
Kim Requesto (she/hers) is a cultural practitioner and interdisciplinary artist based in San Francisco. With an artistic foundation in Philippine dance, Requesto is dedicated to cultural expression and advocacy through movement, photography, and community outreach by navigating her work with the goal of fostering tangible support for the Indigenous communities in the Philippines and diaspora.