Pushing the Standard. – SF Chronicle
FESTIVAL
Move Towards the Future
Welcome to our 20th Anniversary and the revival of the 8th Annual 2025 PUSHfest Dance Festival!
PUSHfest Dance Festival
Saturday – Sunday, October 4-5, 2025
Established in 2014, PUSHfest has evolved into a nationwide autumn festival. Occurring over two days, the festival presents choreographers exploring emergent ideas on two different stages, ready for barrier breaking performances.
Each year, PUSHfest showcases a fresh lineup of mixed-genre dance choreographers alongside the PUSHfest Awards, which awards one choreographer from each program an honorarium and a recognition vote from the audience. PUSH Dance Company situates the festival at its Sanctuary home where residencies and PUSHLab, the educational component of the festival, reside. PUSHfest performances will be held at the newly designed CAST Black Box Theater and on the outdoor stage at The Parks at 5M (5M), thanks to our neighbors CAST (Community Arts Stabilization Trust) and 5M.
Ticket Prices
$20 Student/Senior/Educator
$30 Advance Tickets
(Before Sept. 15, 2025)
$35 General Admission
$55 Fast Pass
(Entry into 2 Programs)
$100 Festival Pass
(Entry into all 4 Programs)
General seating is unassigned open seating and subject to a first come, first served basis. For wheelchair access or other accommodations, please call 415-547-0492 or arrive 30 minutes prior to the performance.
Advance ticket purchase online is highly recommended due to limited seating and the frequent sell-out of festival tickets. A wait list will be available should tickets be sold out; however, entry is not guaranteed.
Buy 2025 PUSHfest Tickets
$20 Student/Senior/Educator
$30 Early Bird (Before Sept. 15, 2025)
$35 General Admission
$55 Fast Pass (Entry into 2 Programs)
$100 Festival Pass (Entry into all 4 Programs)
Tickets are now available. Please select your preferred date and time to proceed to the next step.
Masks are highly recommended for indoor spaces.
2025 PUSHfest Artists
PUSHfest 2025 Program A | Yayoi Kambara
KAMBARA+ founded Yayoi Kambara’s performs October 4,2025 at PUSH Dance Company's PUSHfest.
PUSHfest 2025 Programs A & C | Thomas F. DeFrantz
Thomas F. DeFrantz, an internationally award-winning choreographer and director of SLIPPAGE, brings
PUSHfest 2025 Program C | Dazaun Soleyn
In his PUSHfest debut, Dazaun Soleyn, choreographer for Programs B and C, collaborates with composer
PUSHfest 2025 Programs A & C | Héctor Jaime
During PUSHfest Programs A & C, former BASE program resident artist Héctor Jaime will present a new
PUSHfest 2025 Programs A & C | Clarissa Rivera Dyas
Clarissa Rivera Dyas, a former PUSHLab student, is set to debut her choreography at PUSHfest during
PUSHfest 2025 Programs B & D | Swetha Prabakaran
We're excited to announce that Swetha Prabakaran, one of our Sanctuary Teachers, will be making her
PUSHfest 2025 Programs B & D | Terrence Paschal
Terrence Paschal will lead a PUSHLab performance workshop for students, with the resulting performan
PUSHfest 2025 Programs B & D | Ting Alvarez-Maquinta
Sanctuary Teacher Ting Alvarez-Maquinta creates a new dance for the PUSHLab performance workshop.
PUSHfest 2025 Program B & D | Kevin Wong
Kevin Wong, Sanctuary Teacher, will choreograph a new hip hop dance piece for PUSHLab performance wo
PROGRAM A: Saturday October 4th, 1pm, Black Box Theater
Ashley Gayle, PUSH Dance Company (San Francisco )
thomas defrantz, SLIPPAGE (North Carolina)
Yayoi Kambara, KAMBARA+ (San Francisco )
Héctor Jaime, Xochipilli Dance Company (San Francisco)
Clarissa Rivera Dyas (SF Bay Area)
Bernard Brown, BBMoves (Los Angeles)
PROGRAM B: Saturday October 4th, 3:00pm, 5M Park
Ting Alvarez-Maquinta, PUSHLab (Oakland)
Kevin Wong, PUSHLab (San Francisco)
Swetha Prabakaran, PUSHLab (San Francisco)
Terrence Paschal, PUSHLab (San Francisco)
Swetha Prabakara, The Modern Natya Company (San Francisco)
PROGRAM C: Sunday October 5th, 1pm, Black Box Theater
thomas defrantz, SLIPPAGE (North Carolina)
Héctor Jaime, Xochipilli Dance Company (San Francisco)
Clarissa Rivera Dyas (SF Bay Area)
dazaun soleyn, dazaun dance (Oakland)
Bernard Brown, BBMoves (Los Angeles)
PROGRAM D: Sunday October 5th, 3:00pm, 5M Park
Raissa Simpson, PUSH Dance Company (San Francisco)
Ting Alvarez-Maquinta , PUSHLab (Oakland)
Kevin Wong, PUSHLab (San Francisco)
Swetha Prabakaran, PUSHLab (San Francisco)
Terrence Paschal, PUSHLab (San Francisco)
Swetha Prabakara, The Modern Natya Company (San Francisco)
Directions to PUSHfest
PUSHfest is located at PUSH Dance Company
447 Minna Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
We are located between Mission and Howard Streets and 5th and 6th Streets
We are accessible by BART Powell Street Station or MUNI J/K/L/M/N/T/Bus 14
447 Minna Street, 3rd Fl
San Francisco, CA 94103
Between 5th and 6th Streets
BART or MUNI J/K/L/M/N/T to Powell
Bus 14 to Mission & 5th
Parking (paid) Garage on 5th/Mission
Street parking available at your own risk
PaybyPhone App (also replenishes meter)
ProPark Garage (5th & Mission)
Fifth and Mission Garage
PUSHfest Awards Overview
The PUSHfest Awards are a unique and integral component of the festival, designed to empower the audience to directly engage with and recognize the performances that resonate most deeply with them. This audience choice award system goes beyond traditional juried selections, fostering a more interactive and democratic celebration of artistic excellence. It ensures that the voices of those experiencing the work firsthand are central to acknowledging outstanding choreography, performance, and overall artistic impact. Through this system, PUSHfest aims to cultivate a heightened sense of community and shared appreciation among artists and attendees alike.
2015
Nhadi Thekkek (A)
Ayana Kathryn Yonesaka (B)
2016
Alyssandra Wu (A)
Kameron Saunders (B)
2017
Kendra Kimbrough Barnes and Delina Patrice Brooks (A)
Jamal Jackson (B)
2018
Denice Simpson Braga (A)
Lissa Resnick (B)
2019
David Herrera (A)
Joslynn Mathis-Reed (B)
Tony Nguyen (C)
Mariana Sobral (D)
A DANCE AND CULTURAL CENTER
Be a part of the SΛNCTUΛRY by PUSH
Get updates on events, news and tickets