Bay Area kicks up its heels for Dance Anywhere

by Sarah Adler

Adrian Arias / photo: Sarah Adler

What if everyone in the world could just stop and dance with each other, regardless of age or ability? That’s what performance artist Beth Fein asked herself in 2005, inspired by Bay Area National Dance Week. So she created Dance Anywhere, a simultaneous worldwide public art performance that has been spreading the word ever since. At noon on March 18, people in 27 countries on six continents paused to express themselves through movement in a myriad of ways to celebrate the annual event. An estimated 5,000 dancers worldwide participated, including some locally, at locations ranging from Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, to a painting studio in Petaluma, to elementary schools and retirement residences. In the Mission District, visitors to and those attending an annual meeting at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts took a break at noon to improvise a dance.

- Sarah Adler, Special to The Chronicle

Adrian Arias, 49

Profession: Visual artist and poet

Neighborhood: Oakland

What are you expressing through your dance today?

Connection with my colleagues and putting out the feeling of the building into the world. This is a building with a lot of different dances from the Americas.

What is your favorite dance move?

I love flamenco because it’s fire for me.

Did you study dance or are you self-taught?

Self-taught. When I was little, my grandmother and I would dance our way to the market through the streets of our neighborhood back in Peru. It was so great to have a fun grandmother like that. Sometimes I would get so excited that I would lose one of my shoes and she would say to me, “There you go again, losing your shoes.”

Jason Wallach / photo: Sarah Adler

Jason Wallach, 41

Profession: Events and media coordinator

Neighborhood: Oakland

What are you expressing through your dance today?

For me, dance is the ability to put your mind at ease and get into the flow. It’s important to participate in dance traditions and cultures that will outlive us.

What is your favorite dance move?

When I was growing up, the moonwalk was the best dance ever. Now I love to dance salsa. When you spin someone in salsa, it is so beautiful, graceful and fun.

Did you study dance or are you self-taught?

I learned salsa through repetition and by just dancing. In high school, I randomly took modern dance, but it was mostly to hang out and look at girls’ bodies – though I did retain a few dance moves.

Paula Marie Parker / photo: Sarah Adler

Paula Marie Parker, 57

Profession: Singer and arts advocate

Neighborhood: Oakland

What are you expressing through your dance today?

The Stagebridge Theatre Company guided us through dance in response to the art found in the Oakland Museum. We were encouraged to look at the artwork and then allow for movement to arise. I was inspired by color and was so excited to apply kinetic movement to a piece of seemingly static art. It was a very dynamic experience for me.

What is your favorite dance move?

Today, I was inspired to make a South African amandla fist that the freedom fighters used to use when they sang some songs in South Africa.

Did you study dance or are you self-taught?

I studied dance at Laney College in Oakland and for the past 20 years have been involved with singing and dance performance.

Jennie Rodriguez / photo: SarahAdler

Jennie Rodriguez, 56

Profession: Executive director, Mission Cultural Center

Neighborhood: Mission

What are you expressing through your dance today?

Dance is liberating for me, so I was experiencing liberation. I also tried to connect with the other people around the world so that we would all be in unison – the idea that the movement of our bodies would connect us felt inspiring to me.

What is your favorite dance move?

I love bomba. It’s the dance from Puerto Rico and bomba’s drums and African beat really move me. When I hear it here, this music here, I feel a longing.

Did you study dance or are you self-taught?

Self-taught. I learned in the cradle. I come from Puerto Rico, where kids learn to dance at a very young age and where the rhythm of our music is ingrained in us from birth.

Norma Olivera / photo: Sarah Adler

Norma Olvera, 37

Profession: Administrative assistant

Neighborhood: Sunset

What are you expressing through your dance today?

What I was expressing was my inability to dance. I am the one Latin person who has two left feet and can’t move my hips.

What is your favorite dance move?

My favorite thing to watch is Mexican folklorico dance. I love to watch the skirts, the way the dancers move their hips and all the stomping – the way they are able to do all of those things at once and look beautiful doing that. Whereas myself, I try to do that and I look like I am having a seizure.

Did you study dance or are you self-taught?

I didn’t study dance. I am self-taught. I grew up in a Latin family, so everybody dances. I grew up dancing a bit, but as I got older I didn’t practice, so I don’t have the ability to dance like others in my family. But I get a lot of pleasure watching couples dance – it’s beautiful to watch how they flow together.

Dance Anywhere

by Chase S. Kmee

A true entertainer is in no need of fancy footwork to achieve a memorable performance.

On Friday afternoon, performers across the world celebrated “Dance Anywhere,” a simultaneous, unplanned public performance. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art hosted a performance of two dancers from AXIS Dance Company in commemoration of the day.

AXIS, an Oakland-based nonprofit founded in 1987, features physically disabled and able-bodied performers who specialize in physically integrated dance. This form of contemporary dance emphasizes the role of the disabled performer while also challenging people’s perceptions of the human body and the traditional notion of dancing.

“I was interested in challenging stereotypes when I joined AXIS,” said Sonsherée Giles, a dancer and associate director of AXIS. “We help educate people with our performances. It’s not for the weak of mind and it’s definitely unique.”

Giles, who has been with AXIS since 2005, often performs with Rodney Bell, who is paraplegic.

“Dancing in public spaces is harmonic in a meditative way,” Bell said. “But it can also be daring and edgy.”

Bell is originally from Te Kuiti, New Zealand and played basketball for the country’s Paralympic team from 1999 to 2006.

In the spirit of Dance Anywhere’s “no boundaries” philosophy, Giles and Bell performed “To Color Me Different” to onlookers in the SFMOMA lobby.

Bell was not confined to sitting. At times, he would leave his wheelchair and crawl across the museum floor, sometimes embracing his partner. Other times he would make use of the wheelchair, lifting it and utilizing his upper body strength, to perform an intricate pose. In turn, Giles would grab her partner and, while performing traditional dance, often used Bell’s back as a springboard to emphasize her flexibility with Bell wheeling about–all done in the name of artistic expression.

The performance was without any musical or audio accompaniment.

While many SFMOMA patrons milled about the lobby, others encircled the two performers, studying their physicality.

“For the observer, they’re doing their thing and a group of people become their backdrop,” said Ron Saunders, a photographer and art enthusiast.  “I find it interesting how people don’t become aware of activity happening in their immediate area.”

In regards to the day itself, 12 p.m. marked a flurry of spontaneous performances courtesy of the Dance Anywhere organization.

Dance Anywhere arranged for the AXIS performance to perform at SFMOMA but many other individuals and organizations throughout the world also participated in the annual spontaneous performances.

“People can just do whatever they want,” said Dance Anywhere media director Janina Angel Bath. “Some people dance on the street, some are spontaneous, others are conceptual.”

While other spontaneous dancing events occurred throughout the Bay Area and in San Francisco–including a performance at United Nations Plaza- it was AXIS who captivated many within SFMOMA because of its alternative take of dance.

“It’s not something that happens all the time,” Saunders said. “Using that wheelchair as an extension of his body is truly amazing and very powerful.”

Photo by Sasha Tivetsky

Photo details: Sonsheree Giles and Rodney Bell, dancers part of the Axis Dance Company, perform “To Color Me Different” choreographed by Alex Keltley at the SFMoma on Friday March 18, 2011.

Dance Anywhere

by Claudia Bauer

It’s called dance anywhere, but “dance everywhere” is more like it. For this everybody-dance-now event — which goes down today, March 18 — people around the world get up and shake it at the same moment, uniting across time zones, continents, and political boundaries to create a global guerilla dance-in. Over the past six years, schools streets, bridges, subway platforms, art galleries, and parks have doubled as dance floors for participants from Slovenia to Namibia, and across all fifty states. Locally, you can freeform it by standing up and getting your groove on wherever you are or, if you’d prefer to dance somewhere, by joining an ensemble at the Berkeley Art Museum (2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley), the Oakland Museum (1000 Oak St., Oakland), or Frank Ogawa Plaza (14th St. near Broadway, Oakland). The only officially choreographed element is the starting time. Noon, free.”

Bay Area arts picks, March 17

Dance Anywhere®

by SF Gate

Thousands of people from all over the world will stop what they’re doing and dance simultaneously on Friday. Folks from the Bay Area will come to a halt at noon. To be part of the action here are some of the activities planned: Sonsherée Giles and Rodney Bell of Axis Dance Company will perform at SFMOMA; Beth Fein and Company will be at the Oakland Museum of California; Eric Kupers and Dandelion Dance Theater at Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland; Kara Davis and Project Agora at Civic Center; Alyce Finwall Dance Theater at the Embarcadero/Ferry Building; Dana Lawton Dances at St. Mary’s College; and the Foundry Dance Company will travel from the Civic Center BART Station to Powell Street. Free admission.

Dance Anywhere

by Rita Felciano

photo: Matt Haber

A few years ago dancer-choreographer Beth Fein asked herself: “What if the world paused to dance?” It certainly couldn’t hurt. In the Bronx, hip-hop helped reduce violence. More recently, all of Cairo danced on Tahrir Square. Fein elicited enough of a response that people around the globe will gather for one big communal dance. You can “dance anywhere” on your own or join kindred spirits. In San Francisco, find Alyce Finwall (Embardcadero at the Ferry Building), the Foundry (Civic Center BART), Kara Davis and Agora Project (TBD), or Project Thrust (Togonon Gallery). In Oakland, see Carolyn Lei-Lanilau (Bosko Picture and Framing store), Destiny Arts Center (at home), and Eric Kupers’ Dandelion Dance Theater (Frank Ogawa Plaza). For additional Bay Area participants consult the website.

Noon, free

Various Bay Area locations

…Like No One’s Watching

by Keith Bowers for SF Weekly

It’s Friday. You take your lunch break. You’re in line at the ATM when you notice someone dancing nearby. She’s really into it. She has no intention of stopping. “Oddball,” you think. Then someone cranks up a car stereo and joins her. Across the street in a courtyard is a group of people doing synchronized steps. Then you spot three more on a corner. Is there something going on you don’t know about? You bet. It’s Dance Anywhere, a coordinated effort to get people around the world — professionals and amateurs alike — to dance at the same time, wherever they are. It was created in 2005 by Beth Fein, who says it has gained thousands of participants on makeshift stages such as train stations, museums, parks, and bridges. Organizers say people in 27 countries have joined the effort, and they have photos on a website to back that up. Fein is among dancers who believe the art form has become too separated from our daily lives, and this is a way to break down that barrier while also stretching the definition of what performance art is, and also to make a regular day seem really not so regular. Anyone, anywhere can dance at the appointed time, but the website lets Two-Steppers, Breakers, and Hustlers tell others where they’ll be and what they’ll do, so the whole thing can seem more puzzling and outrageous to those who don’t know about it.”

photo by Matt Haber

dancer: Josie Alvite

[original article]

Simultaneous Global Dance Party

by Bonnie Chan for Flavorpill

Conceived by artist Beth Fein in 2005, dance anywhere® has since become an annual event that calls on every person on the planet to create a spontaneous public art performance and worldwide dance community by shaking their money-makers simultaneously. This year’s global dance party happens today at noon; so move that booty, whether you be in your cubicle, standing in line for a sandwich, or at the planned performance on Embarcadero.”

photo by Guy Poole

by San Francisco Chronicle

Take a break and join the fun at dance anywhere®, a simultaneous worldwide public art performance that builds community through dance and art.  San Franciscans will be joining thousands of others around the globe as they bob their heads, tap their toes and boogie their hearts out at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and other Bay Area spots.

Free.  Noon, Friday SFMOMA, 151 Third St., San Francisco

Beth Fein, Alyce Finwall Dance Theater, Dana Lawton Dances

photo: Matt Haber

(510) 969-9224

What If the World Stopped to Dance?

by Silky Hart

I’m thrilled to share a Q & A with Beth Fein who is the creator of Dance Anywhere. These type of participatory dance events are near and dear to my heart. (Years ago I co-founded a dance festival in Dallas called Dance for the Planet which is now in its 15th year.) Beth has provided a terrific opportunity to feel the power and joy of DANCING with others across the planet on March 18.

Tell us a bit about the back-story behind Dance Anywhere? What was your initial inspiration to create this event?

I first got the idea for dance anywhere® coming home from a dance concert with some friends who are also dancers. We were talking about the evening’s performance. I mentioned in the conversation, “what if we all just stopped and danced anywhere – all at the same time?” One of my friends jumped on it and said why don’t you do it?

The first year for Dance Anywhere was in 2005; how has it evolved over the years?

Well the first-year of dance anywhere® was in 2005, and we didn’t have Facebook or YouTube. So mostly, it was just by email, word-of-mouth and print media. We had dancers mostly in California but also in New Jersey, Mississippi, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. By 2006 we started to have dancers in more states and dance anywhere® began to go international with dancers in Ireland, France, and Spain. Each successive year it has grown, until last year we had dancers on 6 continents, 27 countries and 316 cities (that we know of- there could have been more!). We have the word out — we want to find someone on the South Pole to dance this year and make it 7 continents! Any ideas?

What do you think is the greatest gift for people who participate in Dance Anywhere?

The greatest gift for people participating in dance anywhere® is the sheer joy of dancing; and the fact that they may be in an unusual setting just adds to the enjoyment. I also think there is a sense of empowerment it gives you, to realize you can create something from just an idea. It also offers a sense of community: you can dance with friends and family who are in another city, state or country, and at the same time you are also dancing with a large community of people you have never met in all parts of the world.

In your opinion, what do you think holds people back from expressing their inner dancer?

For some people, they may have an idea that they can’t dance or they aren’t good dancers. But, we all live in our bodies, and we all move — whether it is to music or just as we move through our day — from just ordinary daily activities such as walking, working on a computer or eating lunch. Any of those activities can become a dance if we bring awareness to our movement and take the time to enjoy how we are moving. Some people may think that they won’t be in a good place to dance, perhaps at work or traveling, but honestly “anywhere” is just that. One of my favorite videos is of dancers dancing in a taxi in Istanbul. Who says there are limits to where you can dance?
dance anywhere® is really about the joy of dance that we all had at some time when we were kids.

You are both a visual artist and a dancer, how do you weave these two art forms together?

The most obvious answer is that I end up with so many amazing pictures and videos that inspire me in my visual art. There are also a lot of similarities between the creative processes. There is a crossover in the thought process and the actual art practice in different media. They are not necessarily separate. It all starts with a vision or an idea. I may change the media I work in, but my work evolves in similar ways.

Who or what has been your greatest source of inspiration?

Hard to say what my greatest source of inspiration is. The more work I do, the more ideas I have for new work. I have a huge “backlog” of what I call my “art ideas” –- more ideas than I think I’ll ever have time for. Maybe it comes from a willingness to be playful, allow things to happen and respond to them.

What has been a guiding principle for you in your creative process?

I don’t know if I have a guiding principle for my creative process, but I feel compelled to create. I think it’s an inner compulsion, a need to express what I see, hear and feel. From that point of observation, intellectual honesty is probably my starting point. I also believe almost any idea is worth a trial, that rules are meant to be tested and revised.

How do you shift from those moments of feeling creatively stuck to letting the creative juices flow?

I like to work on more than one project at a time. If I meet a point of indecision, I might walk around in a circle or I might work on another project altogether and let the first one work itself out in my subconscious. Sometimes, I need to let my work rest and come back to it with fresh eyes. I might talk about the work with a friend, but mostly I just need to let the work play out in its own time.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I think everyone has creativity in them. It is part of being a human being. Finding one’s personal relationship with that inner self is essential to our lives. The art is in the attention, and the awareness we bring to whatever task we have at hand. For artists, I think things are changing a lot, socially, economically and with ever changing technology. The challenge for artists is to continue to find ways to make their work (despite hard times) and also find new ways to share it.

Tell us how to participate in Dance Anywhere.

Participating in dance anywhere is really easy. Just go to the website:http://www.danceanywhere.org/ and click on “participate.” You will be guided to create your own page with your information about your plans and this will also put you on the dance anywhere® map. You can then easily share your particular event with your friends.

Lastly:
1. remember to dance on March 18th
2. in your time zone
3. take photos & video (bring a friend along for this)
4. after you dance, go to the website to upload your dance anywhere® photos & video

If there are privacy issues (with school age kids) send us a drawing or a written observation or even a poem.

Beth Fein is a graduate of CCAC. She is a printmaker, conceptual artist, performer. sculptor, ceramist and jeweler. Her art has been displayed in galleries and museums across the country, including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, San Francisco and many other locations. Currently, Beth is an Artist-in-Residence at KALA Art institute in Berkeley, CA.

Project calls for all to dance

by Lauren Gallagher for SF Examiner

Where will you be on March 18 at noon? You could be sitting at your cubicle, eating lunch or waiting for the light to change. No matter your location, dancer and artist Beth Fein hopes you will stand up and dance, along with thousands of other participants of her project, called dance anywhere.

The once-a-year, worldwide, simultaneous dance-a-thon that began in 2005 has its roots in a casual conversation between Fein and her fellow dancers.

“We were coming home one night from a dance performance and asking, ‘Why do we always have to perform in this formal way, at eight o’clock on a Friday or Saturday night?’” recalls Fein.  “Why doesn’t everybody everywhere just get up and dance?”

Fein, an East Bay-based contemporary dancer and visual artist, gathered her first group of dance anywhere participants by e-mailing an invitation that welcomed people to stop in their tracks and dance, at the same time, worldwide.

Last year, dance anywhere had participants on every continent except Antarctica.

“This year I’m looking for someone on the South Pole to dance. I’ve e-mailed some scientists to see if they’d be interested,” says Fein with a laugh.

Now in its sixth year, dance anywhere has a Facebook profile and a website where participants can create their own profile, whether they are an established dance troupe or independent individual or group.

“You don’t have to be a dancer to do it. You can do it in your living room and dance at the same time as everyone else,” Fein says. “I love when I get pictures of people in an office and I love the beautiful trained dancers too. It’s a nice inclusive event.”

Professional and established dancers also are participating in public spaces across the Bay Area, offering 15- to 30-minute performances.  Previous locations have included taxis, street cars, rooftops, bridges, streets and subway stations.

Currently, dance anywhere has about 530 RSVPs on Facebook, but the number will grow exponentially by noon next Friday, when many may join spontaneously. In the past, numbers have been in the thousands.

“The very first year we did it in Berkeley, and we had at least one dancer on every corner, and people joined in,” says Fein. “Every year, people just stop and start to dance with us. It’s a public art project.  We put it out there and people pick it up and make it their own.”

Although celebrating dance across the globe is one aspect of the project, Fein’s main priority is to remind people of the accessibility of art.

“Anybody can have art in their lives,” says Fein.  “If you’re not an artist or a dancer, you don’t have to wait to go see dance, and when it’s in a public space it absolutely transforms environments and how you look at what’s around you.”