PUSH

Raissa Simpson’s PUSH Dance Company Builds Vibrant Contemporary Dances To Gain A Deeper Understanding Of The Challenges Attributed To Mixed Heritage.

Since its inception, PUSHfest has presented works by distinct choreographers representing diverse genres of dance. PUSHfest is a cross-genre dance festival launched in 2014 by PUSH Dance Company. The Festival grew out of a critical need to provide a platform for dance to be appreciated as a diverse and culturally relevant entity within the San Francisco Bay Area. This unique festival showcases a wide range of dance styles that inspire dialogue and innovation among artists and audiences alike.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR CHOREOGRAPHY TO PUSHFEST

Applications are now closed. The PUSHfest Application for 2022 will announced late March 2021.

STEP 1: Fill out our online application. Note that the application requires a link to a youtube or Vimeo video of your completed work, which cannot exceed 8 minutes in length.

    STEP 2: Pay the $45 application fee (subtract $10 if you apply and pay by [Date TBA]).

    Performance Details

    Performance Dates:

    Friday [Date TBA] at 8pm
    Saturday [Date TBA] at 8 pm
    Sunday [Date TBA] at 4:30 pm
    Sunday [Date TBA] at 7:30pm

    Venue: ODC Theater, 3153 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

    Duration of Work Presented: 8 minutes maximum

    Genres: all styles/genres of dance

    Music: recorded

    Tech Details: PUSHfest is a low-tech production.

    A maximum of five lighting cues will be allotted to each choreographer, including lights up and lights down.

    Choreographer receives 30 minutes to tech, space, and run their piece on stage.

    Stage Specs: The stage dimensions are 30’ deep x 43’ wide. There are no side wings (leg drapes). Crossovers are possible behind the white cyc. We will be using the white cyc as the background, meaning there’s no black scrim.

    Submission Details & Timeline

    DEADLINES

    January 1, 2020: PUSHfest Application Opens

    January 24, 2020: Discount application deadline

    February 17, 2020: Open application deadline

    Late March 2020: Festival participants are notified

    Mid April 2020: Festival participants are publicly announced

    PERFORMANCE FEES

    If your work is accepted into the Festival, you will be responsible for the following performance fee:

    $45 – for works under 5 min. (total of $80 including the application fee)

    $115 – for 5 – 8 min. works (total of $150 including the application fee)

    Eligibility & Requirements
    • Only completed works are eligible for submission to the Festival. No works-in-progress will be considered.
    • Applications must be submitted under the name of the choreographer of the work
    • No planned public performances in San Francisco of the selected work within 3 months prior to or 3 months after the Festival
    • Meet all deadlines for promotional materials made by PUSHfest administrative team
    • Program A artists must be available on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday tech & dress rehearsal the week of PUSHfest.
    • Program B artists must be available for a Thursday or Saturday tech & dress rehearsal the week of PUSHfest.
    Benefits
    • PUSHfest performances typically sell out.  If invited, your choreography will be seen by a diverse audience of arts enthusiasts from the San Francisco Bay Area & beyond
    • Networking opportunities with emerging to mid-career artists and performing groups
    • An automatic finalist spot for the PUSHfest Audience Choice Awards.
    • Two performances at ODC Theater in one of two curated programs
    • Two complimentary tickets per invited choreographer
    • A professional Publicist to implement a widespread marketing campaign (i.e. print, social media and radio)
    • 30-45 minute tech with our Technical Director which includes lighting design, sound and other technical assistance
    • PUSH Dance Company covers all production costs associated with theater rental, technical staff, programming and technical direction
    Audience Choice Award

    The PUSHfest Audience Choice Award (PACA) was created in 2015 to give audience members the opportunity to honor their favorite choreographer from each of the Festival’s four programs. Audience members vote for their favorite work at the end of each program. At the close of the Festival, one choreographer from Program A, B, C or D will receive a PACA award which includes a cash honorarium.

    Curatorial Vision

    PUSHfest showcases works from featured choreographers exemplifying different dance styles (i.e. modern, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, ethnic, multi-disciplinary). The Festival also serves as PUSH Dance Company’s fall season, during which the Company will premiere a new work.

    PUSHLab Performance Workshop

    In conjunction with PUSHfest, PUSH Dance Company annually hosts PUSHLab, a performance workshop that offers pre-professional dancers the opportunity to be part of the creation and performance of a new work for PUSHfest by the company’s current choreographer-in-residence.

    Previous choreographers-in-residence include:

    Katerina Wong

    Ashley Gayle/Noah D. James III (Visceral Roots Dance Company)

    Kao Saephanh (co-director of LV Dance Collective)

    Courtney Hope/Hien Huynh

    Gerald Casel (Gerald Casel Dance)

    Registration opens in July for the Fall, for more information visit pushdance.org/pushlab.

    A Complete List of PUSHfest Artists

    2014 Program A
    Randee Paufve
    Sarah Bush Dance Project
    Anandha Ray’s Quimera Tribe
    Natasha Adorlee Johnson/Concept o4
    Martha Zepeda/LV Dance Collective

    2014 Program B
    Tanya Chianese/ka.nei.see Collective
    Jetta Martin
    Jamie Ray Wright/DanceWright Project
    Ashley Gayle
    Chadi El-Khoury
    Maura Townsend/Project21 Dance
    Katerina Wong

    2015 Program A
    Nadhi Thekkek
    Lindsey Renee Derry
    Nina Haft
    Luis Valverde
    Elizabeth Shea
    Martha Zepeda
    Nhan Ho

    2015 Program B
    Katerina Wong
    Ayana Yonesaka
    Marika Brussel
    Peter Cheng
    Philip Flickinger
    Lorelei Bayne
    Adrianna Thompson

    2016 Program A
    Mary Carbonara
    Amy Foley/Bellwether Dance Project
    Joslynn Mathis Reed
    Mariah Steele
    Liv Schaffer
    Shreelata Suresh
    Alyssandra Katherine Wu

    2016 Program B
    Todd Thomas Brown & Co
    Javan Wilson
    Kameron N. Saunders
    Amansu Eason/Red Clay Dance
    Casey Lee Thorne and Dancers
    Lalli Venkat
    Angela Dice Nguyen

    2017 Program A
    Tanya Chianese
    Claudia Anata Hubiak
    Kendra Kimbrough-Barnes & Delina Patrice Brooks
    Halifu Osumare
    Agatha “Agatron”Rupniewski
    Liv Schaffer & Cole Vernon
    Adrianna Thompson
    Lalli Venkat
    Katerina Wong

    2017 Program B
    Adrian Arias
    Lorelei Bayne
    Claire Calalo
    Mary Carbonara
    Kathryn Florez
    Jamal Jackson
    Rebecca McCormac
    Kao Vey Sebastian Saephanh

    2018 Program A
    Hayley Bowman
    Denice Simpson Braga
    Ashley Gayle & Noah D. James III
    Alyssa Mitchel
    Alleluia Panis
    Jessica Recinos
    Raissa Simpson
    Anupama Srivastava

    2018 Program B
    Bernard Brown
    Weslie Ching
    Cherie Hill
    Courtney Hope & Hien Huynh
    Lissa Resnick
    Jocelyn Reyes
    Agatha “Agatron” Rupniewski
    Martha L.Z. Pamintuan & Kao Vey Sebastian Saephanh
    Kameron N. Saunders, SueMo: A Dance Experience
    Ayo Walker
    Luis Valverde

    2019 Program A
    Jesselito Bie
    Julie Crothers
    Sierra Don
    David Herrera
    Peri Trono
    Hannah Young

    2019 Program B
    Cindy Heen
    Meghan Horowitz
    Jamal Jackson
    Yayoi Kambara
    Joslynn Mathis Reed
    Nya McCarthy-Brown
    SNJV

    2019 Program C
    Sierra Don
    Kathleen Hickey
    Tony Nguyen
    Bhumi Patel
    Andi Salazar
    Jyotsna Vaidee

    2019 Program D
    Annie Kahane
    Tony Nguyen
    Jennifer Perfilio
    Anupama Srivastava
    Mariana Sobral

    2020 PUSHfest Global

    — Week 1 —
    Bhumi B Patel
    JP Alejandro
    Shannon May and Lauren Yeung

    — Week 2 —
    Niharika Mohanty
    Shaun Keylock
    Molly & Aviva Rose-William

    — Week 3 —
    Ishika Seth
    Christine Baltes restaged by Janell Burgess
    MaryAnngeline Medenas and Sara Vincent

    — Week 4 —
    Lucy Dillon
    Kyle Limin
    Antavius Ellison

    — Week 5 —
    Raissa Simpson

    — Week 6 —
    Angus Wu
    Vertika Srivastava
    Elizabeth Shea

    — Week 7 —
    Peri Trono & John Paul Alejandro
    Joan Lazarus
    Mariella Morales