Bay Area Music Groups

Dance Brigade was founded in 1984 by Nina Fichter and Krissy Keefer, original members of Wallflower Order, to create and perform dance theater that addresses the complex problems of contemporary American women. For the past 20 years, the company has created, performed, presented and produced issue-oriented dance theater exploring socio-political issues such as violence against women, class injustice, war, racism, breast cancer, sexual abuse and homophobia. The company has created approximately 10 full-length concerts of contemporary dance theater pieces including Pandora's Box, Ballet of the Banshees, Cinderella, Queen of Sheba, CaveWomen, Spell and has won numerous awards. One year after September 11, the Dance Brigade produced Women Against War: A Vision for Peace before a capacity audience at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco's Civic Center, on the very stage where the original United Nations Charter was signed. This event toured to sold-out audiences in the spring of 2003. dancing woman During the eighties, the company annually presented "Furious Feet: the Dance Festival for Social Change." During the late eighties and early nineties, Dance Brigade performed the Revolutionary Nutcracker Sweetie before 40,000 ticket buyers, re-telling Tchaikovsky's classic ballet through a variety of modern dance forms, a jazz score and a multicultural cast. Unlike most modern dance, this concert-length work succeeded in attracting large audiences because it was accessible to the average person. Since 1987, the company's collaborators have included Ferron, Terry Sendgraff, Sara Shelton Mann, Mary Watkins, Kim Epifano, Amelia Rudolph and Project Bandaloop. At Dance Mission the Dance Brigade regularly presents an aerial dance festival: "SkyDancers: Women who Fly Through the Air." In 1998, under the artistic direction of Krissy Keefer, the company began operating the 140-seat Dance Mission Theater at 24th and Mission Streets, which has evolved into one of the region's leading contemporary dance spaces. At this venue Dance Brigade produces its original work, conducts a multicultural dance instruction program and rents space to other companies and choreographers for performances, classes and rehearsals. In 1998, under the artistic direction of Krissy Keefer, the company began operating the 140-seat Dance Mission Theater at 24th and Mission Streets, which has evolved into one of the region's leading contemporary dance spaces. At this venue Dance Brigade produces its original work, conducts a multicultural dance instruction program and rents space to other companies and choreographers for performances, classes and rehearsals.