November. Thanksgiving. Well, Performing Diaspora was a thanksgiving feast of a sort, for sure. Dishes of quiet contemplative explosions and moments of mirth filled the platter, like when Sri did her nonplussed “boob dance” and her sexy “butt dance.” With her back to the audience, she cocked her head as if to say, “I see […]
We are super excited to have had the opportunity to meet the truly kind and professional folks from the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Culture Wire. Watch the video below to hear from Jessica Robinson Love and 3 Performing Diaspora artists Gema Sandoval, Charlotte Moraga and Adia Tamar Whitaker talk about what Performing Diaspora meant to […]
With Performing Diaspora fast-approaching, some of the artists took a break from the stage and headed over to KPFA’s radio studios in Berkeley for a musical sneak-preview of their work on Stephen Kent’s show, “Music of the World.” In between tracks, our Executive Director Jessica Robinson Love joined them in the conversation about their performances […]
Kathak made a man out of me….And a Bird! by Charlotte Moraga Gender-bending, gender-blending–This is ardhinariswara. It’s nothing new for a Kathak dancer. We have to explore the depths of extreme masculinity and extreme femininity as we portray different characters and characterization in stories. This kind of role playing requires an artist to get in […]
What is kathak? Kathak is a unique dance form which incorporates rhythmic virtuosity, compelling storytelling, poetry, recitation, song, swift and subtle movement, and a rich philosophy whose roots extend thousands of years. In 1992, I enrolled in a Kathak class at SFSU with world-renowned master, Pandit Chitresh Das. Little did I know the vast ocean […]