Push Dance Company in Little As Three Words, “Reflective Contemporary Choreography.”
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COMPANY Dance Spirit Magazine hailed Push Dance Company in little as three words, “Reflective Contemporary Choreography.” Push Dance Company is a contemporary dance company formed in 2005 by artistic director, Raissa Simpson. By combining exquisite film, music & gadgetry with daring dances, the company has stepped into the forefront of dance + technology in San Francisco Bay Area. The Company is currently exploring issues of identity. It incubates emerging and established talent through, workshops, performances and chore- ography opportunities. Under Raissa’s direction, PDC has presented and toured at venues such as the Black Choreographers Festival, Cowell Theater, Dance Mission The- ater, CounterPULSE, Garage Artspace, (San Francisco), 418 Project (Santa Cruz), Laney College (Oakland), SOLAD Center (Walnut Creek), American Cancer Society, Western Ballet (Mountain View), and San Jose State University. Push Dance Company is currently a company-in- residence at Zaccho Dance Theater. PDC has received funding from the Zellerbach Family Foundation, Black Choreographers Festival mentor program, Theater Bay Area’s CA$H, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Wallace Alexander Ger- bode Foundation, and the San Fran- cisco Arts Commission for acclaimed collaborations with visual designer Marlon Sagana Ingram, recording artist Unwoman, community partner 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic, musicians Keith Moore and Kyle Canfield. P.O Box 421508, San Francisco, Ca 94142 Raissa Simpson is an independent dancer, teacher, choreographer and A.D. of Push Dance Company. Hailed by Dance Spirit Maga- zine for “Reflective Contemporary Choreography”, Simpson makes vibrant dances embodying socially relevant issues. She is a recipient of the Regional Dance Award and San Jose State University.’s “Peoples Choice Award.” She holds her BFA from State University New York, Purchase (SUNY)- talent-based scholarship; subsequently attending the schools of Dance Theatre of Harlem (NYC), the Paul Taylor School (NYC). She has toured and performed as a company member with Robert Moses Kin (2002-2007) and Joanna Haigood’s Zaccho Dance Theatre (Present). ARTISTIC Simpson has been on the faculty of SFDC/LINES Ballet, City Dance Studios, Alexi Zubiria’s West- ern Ballet, and Santa Clara Ballet. Master teaching includes Berkeley High School, UC Santa Cruz, among others. She has performed in numerous festivals: City Center New York’s Fall for Dance, Bates Dance Festival, University of Texas, Stanford University, APAP (NY), Arizona State Univ., Columbia College, including, Jacob’s Pillow where Village Voice dance-critic Deborah Jowitt noted, “Simpson dances big.” P.O Box 421508, San Francisco, Ca 94142 Bryce Vinnicombe began studying ballet as a child growing up in Johannesburg, South Africa. She earned her B.A. in Studio Art from Indiana University. Bryce danced with Indiana Dance Theatre. She joined PDC in 2006. David Herrera received his B.A. and post-graduate degrees from University of California, Santa Cruz. He worked with Mel Wong and created the David Herrera Performance Co. He danced with Nannette Brody Dance Theater in Long Beach, CA. David joined PDC in 2007. Emily Sprugasci received a B.A. in Dance from San Jose State University in Modern Dance & Busi- ness Management. Emily has worked with Kunst- Stoff (SF), Company Mayes (SF), U Dance Electra (SF), Dance Around the World, and the SJSU’s Univer- sity Dance Theatre. She joined PDC in 2006. Nicole McAleavey received a B.A. in Dance from San Jose State University. She was a member of University COMPANY Dance Theater for five years. Nicole joined PDC in 2008. Svetlana Pikvich-Clary has danced for Company Mayes and Osmosis DanceWorks among many other Bay Area companies. She joined PDC in 2006. Tina McLean graduated from San Jose State Uni- versity with a degree in dance. She performed at the Mexican Heritage Plaza and American College Dance Festival. She was a member of Funkanom- etry. Tina joined PDC in 2008. P.O Box 421508, San Francisco, Ca 94142 SELECTED Ms. Simpson consistently creates dynamic works for Push Dance Company- vibrant and captivating pieces- that are garnering notice from critics, support from the arts community, and an audience fan base. - Laura Elaine Ellis, co-director Black Choreographers Festival 2006 “Reflective contemporary choreography.” - Dance Spirit Magazine 2007 “Haunting, evocative...” - Critical Dance 2007 “During her time with Robert Moses Kin she met each challenge with a resolve that speaks strongly to her strengths.” –Robert Moses, director Robert Moses Kin 2007 “Simpson has made a name for herself as not only a fine choreogra- pher, but as an all-around visual artist, combining film and technol- ogy seamlessly...” - Dancers Magazine & dancersuniverse.com 2008 “Ms Simpson is a dedicated and talented performer and choreographer emerging in the Bay Area arts community; one that I think shows promise.” – Joanna Haigood, director Zaccho Dance Theatre 2008 P.O Box 421508, San Francisco, Ca 94142 Mixed Messages (2009) work-in-progress A lush 40-minute multimedia septet able to be excerpted or shown in its entirety. Audience mem- bers pass through a series of intricate mixed-race imagery bound by isolation, identity, self-image, and acceptance. Original Music Composition: Kyle Canfield Media Art: Marlon Sagana Ingram Premiere: ODC Commons, May 2009 Co-commissioned by San Francisco Arts Commission, the Zellerbach Family Foundation in asso- ciation with William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation. Judgments In Milliseconds (2008) Humorous 8-minute multimedia solo inspired by the simulation facing African American hair in today’s culture. Media Art/ Sound Design: Marlon Sagana Ingram Premiere: Dance Mission Theater Co-commissioned by Zellerbach Family Foundation and Theater Bay Area’ CA$H. CURRENT Post Meridian (2007 restaged 2008) 10-minute sextet for men and women with live cello-singer music. Original Music Composition: Unwoman Live Film/ Media: Raissa Simpson Premiere: Cowell Theater “Therein lies Simpson’s huge talent: Capturing the rise and fall of musical climaxes through movement. In her final number, Post Meridian, dancers performed an exhausting piece full of energy and quick, unexpected tran- sitions. The result was an exciting, captivating dance. Audience members were entertained, and you could tell the dancers truly enjoyed performing it as well.” -Dancer Magazine All works are choreography by Raissa Simpson. Continued on next page... P.O Box 421508, San Francisco, Ca 94142 Foyer Project (2007) 8-minute energetic display of interpersonal relationships and mass movement through city surroundings. Original Composition: Keith Moore Film: Joie Rey Cohen Premiere: CounterPULSE Commissioned by Zellerbach Family Foundation Buried Alive (2007) A quartet for women with commentary on subservient roles in society. Original Composition: Unwoman Animation: Joie Rey Cohen Premiere: CounterPULSE “Peoples Choice Award” honoree, San Jose State University. Commissioned by Zellerbach Family Foundation Grasp (2006) CURRENT Group work evoking memories of an ocean wave coming to shore. Music: Tarika Sammy Premiere: Dance Mission Theater Headliner (2005 restaged 2006) Fiery 10-minute heavy metal music piece for men and women. Original Composition: Keith Moore Premiere: Cowell Theater Adinfinitum(2001 restaged 2005) Solo work for Raissa Simpson in memory of her father. Choreography: Raissa Simpson Music: JS Bach Premiere: Cowell Theater P.O Box 421508, San Francisco, Ca 94142 Boston Critic Wendy Garofoli, Dancer Magazine and DancerUniverse.com April 7, 2008 REVIEW: Push Dance Company This weekend, I caught the season premiere of San Francisco-based Push Dance Company, a contemporary group formed by emerging choreographer Raissa Simpson. I caught Simpson’s act last year, when the company was quite green, yet still had a great deal of depth and potential. This year, their growth is apparent. Simpson has made a name for herself as not only a fine choreographer, but as an all-around visual artist, combining film and technology seamlessly with her works. In one number, streaming sands, choreographed by Marina Fukushima, dancers mimic tiny sand particles as they’re lifted and displaced by streams of water. Behind them, a projected film displays water drizzling down a sandy backdrop. The film doesn’t distract from the dancers, as is often the case when multi-media pieces are presented. Instead, the dancers help to embody both the movement on the screen and the crescendos in the music. Therein lies Simpson’s huge talent: Capturing the rise and fall of musical climax- es through movement. In her final number, Post Meridian, dancers performed an exhausting piece full of energy and quick, unexpected transitions. The result was an exciting, captivating dance. Audience members were entertained, and you could tell the dancers truly enjoyed performing it as well. Another noteworthy performance is that of guest artist Antoine Hunter, a hearing- impaired dancer who has danced with Savage Jazz Dance Company since 2001. Hunter performed a gut-wrenching solo with valleys of achingly slow, isolated movements dotted with peaks of shaking, flailing, and leaping across the stage. The contrast in his dancing had me on the edge of my seat. This man really FEELS his dancing in a way I bet those of us with perfect hearing never could. He’s an inspiration to all other dancers..