• September 3, 2009

    Works in Progress Showing

    By Published On: September 3rd, 2009

    This past weekend, a few of our Performing Diaspora artists gave audiences a sneak peek on how their work's progressing.  It was incredible to see how far they've come in these past few months, and we're excited to see the final performance!    Check out videos of their performance on YouTube - CounterPULSE has a page

  • September 2, 2009

    Words First

    By Published On: September 2nd, 2009

    Wed. Sept. 2, 7:30pm, $7-10 (Members $3-5) This month's performance review includes Kenny Yun in "Lettucetown Lies."  He's Gay.  He's Asian.  He's coming of age in Lettucetown. If that's not bad enough, he's got a crush on a hick.  Adolescence! It's fun, it's lies. In Lettucetown; David Allen Moss; Bruce Pachtman in "Solo Show #2." 

  • September 2, 2009

    Free Ram Board

    By Published On: September 2nd, 2009

    Hey All, So as we near the end of our Riser Rebuild we find ourselves with about 1000 sq. ft. of decent Ram Board that we protected the Dance Floor with. If you want it it is free, just email andrew@counterpulse.org

  • August 31, 2009

    Devendra Sharma for Performing Diaspora: “Mission Suhani”- Reflections from India!

    By Published On: August 31st, 2009

    Hi friends! I spent last three months living in India, co-writing the new Nautanki performance script for the “Performing Diaspora” with my father-- the renowned Nautanki artist, Pundit Ram Dayal Sharma, I loved my time in India. It was so much fun, and a learning experience, working with my father on this script that focuses

  • August 29, 2009

    Cry into the song

    By Published On: August 29th, 2009

    The Ewe say " ... you must cry into the song." A man in the taxi said "... you are beautiful when you cry." ... But these things are not easy. To cry into the song when you are still so sad ... To let your beauty shine thru when you feel as though there

  • August 28, 2009

    Koreni, making peace with the past to move forward as life gets in the way of ART

    By Published On: August 28th, 2009

    The very spontaneous nature of art rarely gives way to "schedules", ie. scribbling notes on a bathroom floor at 4am so as not to wake up the household, 2-hour rehearsals that turn into 10 hours, starting with violins and ending up with tambourines, constant breaking of commitments due to double-booking or financial constraints...and yet as

  • August 26, 2009

    developing the script… the bare bones

    By Published On: August 26th, 2009

    So I haven't been good with updating the blog regularly - I am the same way about my own personal blog - but when I do it is thorough! We have been traveling all summer and I have been very in my head about this work - working on skill building and movement material but

  • August 25, 2009

    Bihag, my choreographic take on the Hip hop Tinikling – part 2

    By Published On: August 25th, 2009

    Archival Photo of  Silayan Dance Company  featuring dancers Sandy Mendez and Mandy Burgos  from article on  "Filipino Life",   Los Angeles Times 1986 (Costume idea for Tikling Bird Goddess in "BIHAG" - look at male dancer in the back) I write in my pajamas in this late bright sunny afternoon wondering why I haven’t changed

  • August 21, 2009

    Do You Have Those in Black?

    By Published On: August 21st, 2009

    Ok so we aren't quite finished but we are nearly there.  We had to use the white because in the entire Bay Area it is apparently the only color in which they make Fire Retardant paint.  Patrick Simms and I slapped the first coat of black on before we left yesterday and I think they

  • August 20, 2009

    Approaching the Feminine – Prumsodun Ok for Performing Diaspora

    By Published On: August 20th, 2009

    "He, who is described as male, is as much the female and the penetrating eye does not fail to see it." - Rigveda It is 4.06 AM.  My eyes tell me that I need to sleep but lying in bed is proving useless as thoughts race through my head.  I was in Cambodia for ten

  • August 19, 2009

    Towards Chicano Dance

    By Published On: August 19th, 2009

    When you choreograph folk dance and work to transfer movement from its natural habitat to the stage the considerations are: : Is the representation accurate? Am I being true to the spirit of the dance? Have I accurately reflected the integrity and idiosyncracy of the music, dance and people of that area? As important as

  • August 19, 2009

    The Memo

    By Published On: August 19th, 2009

    I didn't get the memo. You know the one that breaks down the ways in which descendants of enslaved Africans have a different (but just as post traumatic stress disordered psychosis) than the descendants of colonized Africans. To be fair, I looked completely different when I've traveled abroad before (I had long hair), AND there