CounterPULSE

Located at 9th and Mission in SOMA in San Francisco, CounterPULSE is a theater, performance space, community center, gallery and more. With roots deep in the Bay Area’s creative and provocative performance and dance scenes CounterPULSE provides space for artists and activists, helps support and produce artistic new work.

Full Schedule

Check the brochure online.

Calendars (click for larger versions)

Performing Diaspora Southern California in Progress Showing, At Highways Performance Space
Sun. Sept. 20

TALKS! From India to the Bay Area
Wed. Sept. 23

Dance Discourse Project 7: Dancing Diaspora
Thurs. Oct. 15

Performing Diaspora Work in Progress Showings
Sun. Oct. 18 & Sat. Oct. 24

Performing Diaspora Symposium
Sat. Nov 7

TALKS! Philippines: Immigration Politics and the Body
Wed. Nov. 18

Performing Diaspora Festival
Thurs.-Sun. Nov. 5-8, 12-15, & 19-22
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Southern California Work In Progress Showing

Co-Presented by Highways Performance Space
Sunday, September 20, 3pm, $10

Gema Sandoval, Dulce Capadocia, Ana Maria Alvarez, Prumsodun Ok and Sri Susilowati share works in progress, followed by a discussion.

TALKS! From India to the Bay Area

Co-Presented by Shaping San Francisco
Wednesday September 23, 7:30pm, Free

Devendra Sharma (Performing Diaspora) and Jaysi Chander (physician and kathak dancer/tabla player/poet and activist) share short performances and discuss important issues surrounding the Bay Area Indian community.

Dance Discourse Project 7: Dancing Diaspora

Co-presented by World Arts West/San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and Dancers’ Group
Thursday October 15, 7:30pm, Free

Join us for a lively discussion tackling some of the questions and ideas posed by Performing Diaspora. What is the role of innovation in traditional performance? What makes the Bay Area unique as a home for ethnic dance? How can we work together to broaden support for a new generation of traditional dancers? Local artists, audience members and presenters will engage in an open and participatory conversation.

Northern California Work In Progress Showing

Sunday, October 18, 11am-2pm, Free

Charlotte Moraga & Devendra Sharma share works in progress followed by a discussion.

Northern California Work In Progress Showing

Session 1: Saturday, October 24, 11am-2pm, Free
Session 2: Saturday, October 24, 2:30-5pm, Free

Adia Whitaker, Collette Eloi & Opal Palmer Adisa (Session 1). Yannis Adoniou, Danica Sena Gakovich & Wang Fei (Session 2).
Artists share works in progress, followed by a discussion.

CounterPULSE and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts present
In association with the African and African American Performing Arts Coalition, Dance Mission Theater, and the Dance Studies Working Group at UC Berkeley.

Performing Diaspora Symposium

A Series of Rich and Difficult Conversations
Sat. Nov 7, 10am-5:30pm, Free

Some of the Bay Area’s most exciting minds in traditional performance tackle hot topics including criticism and aesthetics, representation and appropriation, and social justice during a day-long gathering. The event is presented by CounterPULSE and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts in association with the African and African American Performing Arts Coalition, Dance Mission Theater, and the Dance Studies Working Group at UC Berkeley. Non-stop panels, networking and receptions plus a participatory lecture/demonstration.

Full Symposium Agenda Now Available

TALKS! Philippines: Immigration, Politics and the Body

Co-Presented by Shaping San Francisco
Wednesday November 18, 7:30pm, Free

Aimee Suzara and other guest speakers discuss colonization/decolonization and the creation of cultural forms, political and economic relationships between the Phillipines and the United States, and the experiences of Filipina women in the diaspora.

Performing Diaspora Festival

Thursdays -Sundays, November 5-22

All shows 8pm
Tickets: Online pre-sale $15-25, at door $18-25
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Performing Diaspora is a two-year initiative challenging artists and audiences to explore the evocative questions associated with this work.

Weekend 1, November 5-8

All shows 8pm
Tickets: Online pre-sale $15-25, at door $18-25
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Thurs., Nov. 5 – Co-Presented by The Museum of the African Diaspora
Fri. Nov. 6 – Co-Presented by AfroSolo Theatre Company
Sat. Nov. 7 – Co-Presented by Chitresh Das Dance Company & Chhandam School of Kathak
Sun. Nov. 8 – Co-Presented by Galeria de la Raza; Folk Dance Federation, Northern

Each evening will include performances from:

Weekend 2, November 12-15

All shows 8pm
Tickets: Online pre-sale $15-25, at door $18-25

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Thurs., Nov. 12 – Co-Presented by Hastings-to-Haiti Partnership & Haiti Soleil
Fri. Nov. 13 – Co-Presented by Streetside Stories
Sat. Nov. 14 – Co-Presented by La Peña Cultural Center
Sun. Nov. 15 -Co-Presented by California Poets In The Schools

Each evening will include performances from:

Festival Weekend 3, November 19-22

All shows 8pm
Tickets: Online pre-sale $15-25, at door $18-25

Buy Tickets!
Thurs., Nov. 19 – Co-Presented by Kularts
Fri. Nov. 20 – Co-Presented by Arkipelago Books
Sat. Nov. 21 – Co-Presented by Maitri & Center for South Asia Studies at the University of California, Berkeley
Sun. Nov. 22 -Co-Presented by North American Guqin Association & APIQWTC

Each evening will include performances from:

Performing Diaspora is made possible by support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Columbia Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Ken Hempel Fund for the Arts, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, the San Francisco Foundation, the San Francisco Arts Commission and the members and supporters of CounterPULSE.