Yerba Buena Gardens ChoreoFest 2024 occurs on two days: Saturday, July 13 and Saturday, July 20.

A two-weekend festival of site-specific work, the Yerba Buena Gardens ChoreoFest showcases the extravagant creativity, diversity and vibrancy of the Bay Area dance scene. After a thrilling 2023 season, YBG ChoreoFest returns with PUSH Dance Company’s Artistic Director Raissa Simpson and Associate Artistic Director Ashley Gayle serving as co-curators with David Herrera Performance Company’s David Herrera. Designed to offer rising Bay Area artists opportunities to shine on a larger platform, YBG ChoreoFest also seeks to present artists of color from outside of the contemporary/modern dance world, particularly hip-hop and global dance traditions. Herrera, a recipient of the National Latino Arts & Culture Leadership Fellowship and many other grants, commissions and residencies, founded his company in 2007 in response to the lack of Latinx visibility and representation on the U.S. modern dance scene. A highly sought after educator, scholar, interdisciplinary artist and award-winning choreographer hailing from African-descended sharecroppers and an immigrant from the Philippines, Raissa Simpson founded PUSH to examine the body as a site for racial discourse. Together, these curators turn the seventh annual YBG ChoreoFest into a glorious profusion of performances amidst the Gardens’ lawns and architecture.

Day Two Companies:

Rogelio Lopez & Dancers choreographer Rogelio Lopez has been a choreographic presence throughout the California college dance scene over the past decade, where he has created many works chosen to be performed at the American College Dance Association annual festivals, some of which have been presented in the gala performances and at nationals. Rogelio is currently the director of the MFA in Dance at St. Mary’s College of Moraga, and teaches regularly at Shawl Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley. He holds an MFA in Dance from California State University and has danced professionally for many wonderful contemporary dance artists including: Keith Johnson, Hope Mohr, Cathy Davalos, Mary Armentrout, Deborah Slater, Nina Haft and Randee Paufve.

Diamano Coura West African Dance Company is a not-for-profit community African arts organization with a cultural focus. Located at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts in Oakland, the Company is dedicated to: The preservation, education, and appreciation of traditional West African music, dance, theater and culture through public benefit ventures. The mission of Diamano Coura is to provide global audiences access to the richness of indigenous African cultural tapestry through professional classes, performances and the accurate depiction and perpetuation of African folklore indigenous Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Liberia and Ivory Coast, whereby it can be understood and appreciated by all. Diamano Coura is committed to partnering with other artists and community members to use the inherent power of the arts to break barriers that stagnate to open corridors that encourage social and economic development, while fostering health and spiritual health and well-being. Diamano Coura in the Senegalese Wolof language means “those who bring the message.”

Siddhi Creative‘s Artistic Director Surabhi Bharadwaj is a seasoned artist with over a decade of expertise as a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, educator and lighting designer. Trained by revered Gurus in India and armed with dual Master’s degrees in Bharatanatyam and Dance: Design and Production, Surabhi’s artistry has garnered global acclaim including recognition from esteemed publications such as the New York Times and Broadway World. Committed to inclusivity, Surabhi seamlessly blends Bharatanatyam with contemporary relevance, emphasizing on collaboration, justice, and community building. She has created multidisciplinary productions like “Ashrutam – The Unheard Voice,” “Dream Tree” and her two ongoing projects “The Maze” and “Finding Joy”.

Surabhi Bharadwaj created Siddhi Creative as a platform committed to fostering collaboration, creative exploration and accessibility in the arts. Originally established in 2016 as Siddhi Dance Academy, the company has expanded its activities and has taken on a leadership role focused on decolonizing dance, promoting artistic development and engaging with the community. Siddhi Creative is focused on circular (non-hierarchical) collaboration and learning, providing a safe space for exploration, re-imagination and fostering artistic growth.

PUSH Dance Company, described as “emotional and kinetic” (San Francisco Bay Guardian), performs vibrant contemporary dances, providing audiences an opportunity to examine issues of identity and intersecting cultures that surround and affect us all. Founded in 2005 by Artistic Director Raissa Simpson, PUSH maintains a philosophy that bold movement and intellect can coexist. The company has performed at Joyce SoHo, Aspen Fringe Festival, Dance St. Louis, Ferst Center, Los Angeles Women’s Theater Festival and Black Choreographers Festival, among others. Raissa has held creative residencies at Dance Initiative Carbondale, Bayview Opera House and more. Most recently, PUSH received a WAVE Award, Hometown Media Award and Isadora Duncan Award for its project EMME YA.

Know Before You Go

• Each program day moves to four different locations in the Gardens, spanning approx. 1 city block or .5 miles
• Event staff and volunteers will direct the audience to each location
• Seating at each site is very limited and prioritized for seniors and those with disabilities
• Each performance is about 15-20 minutes in length
• ASL interpretation is provided on both days
• For any other accessibility questions, contact info@ybgfestival.org or (415) 543-1718

Supported in part by: