Images courtesy of John Hefti. “Oakland has a Ballet?” is the usual reply given whenever the burgeoning young troupe is brought up in conversation. This past weekend (May 5th – 7th), the lesser known Oakland Ballet Company took over the modest stage at Laney College Theatre with four presentations of

It’s called Magrittomania, and it’s a ballet inspired by the surrealist Belgian painter Magritte, whose work is complex, metaphysical, and meant to unlock different perspectives in its viewers.  The Ballet inspired by his work somehow, quite ingeniously, accomplishes this too.

We got to the East Bay in 20 minutes & never worried about traffic, a bridge toll, parking…or any other hassle. Our only concern was drinking in the beautiful views on the SF Bay Ferry.

The smell of popcorn and anticipation greet you under the big tent, as parents, punters and press sip wine and chat excitedly before the premiere of Cirque Du Soleil’s AMALUNA in San Francisco.   Amaluna is directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus, and it is female-driven, nail-biting action.  It may just

The answer to this question is easy:  smear on massive amounts of lipstick, back-comb your wig into voluminous perfection, climb up onto a table, and shake your thing because hips don’t lie, honey!  Oh, wait.  So you just want to learn how to dance like a pro, but don’t have

The last time I saw any type of dance performance in San Francisco, it was The Nutcracker, it was almost a year ago and it was pretty expensive (which is why I generously let an out-of-town relative foot the bill).  Generally, though, there are several smaller, yet prestigious dance companies

Last week at Ella I got a jump start on National Dance Week and dropped some serious moves, thanks in whole to an unbelievable dance partner who combined enthusiasm, grace, and levity with just the right amount of sensuality, checked with intentionally robotic hip humping.  If I sound enamored, well,