Thursday, May 5, 2022

Post:ballet Coming to Heron Arts in San Francisco

Since the Post:ballet collective is based in Berkeley, my decision to limit my activities to within the San Francisco city limits has put me at a disadvantage when it comes to following the imaginative efforts of this group. Fortunately, thanks to The Living Earth Show, San Franciscans were able to attend performances of a project they shared with Post:ballet. That project was Lyra, which was presented twice during the San Francisco Performances PIVOT Festival this past October.

Just as fortunately, Post:ballet responded to the lockdown conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic with an engaging variety of streamed video offerings. These included two dances created by founder and Artistic Director Robin Dekkers with music provided by Helen Kim, Associate Principal Second Violin with the San Francisco Symphony. The first of these was a setting of John Cage’s solo violin composition “Eight Whiskus” choreographed by Dekkers and Emily Hansel and performed as a solo by Hansel. This was followed by a video created by Ben Tarquin for Dekkers’ Playing Changes with Kim performing for multiple dancers in West Oakland’s 16th Street Station.

Haoyun Erin Zhao’s installation for “States of Meditation” (from the Eventbrite event page)

The next Post:ballet performance in San Francisco will take place at Heron Arts, which is probably best known by readers of this site as the venue where One Found Sound presents their concerts. Post:ballet Resident Choreographer Moscelyne ParkeHarrison will perform in collaboration with Bay Area artist Haoyun Erin Zhao. ParkeHarrison will perform in Zhao’s site-specific installation “States of Meditation.” She will dance to music composed by multi-instrumentalist Daniel Berkman. This jointly-created performance was conceived to reflect upon the idea of change through a non-linear visual narrative that parallels different states of meditation, from restlessness and mind-wandering, to concentration, stillness, emptiness, and everything in between.

The event is expected to last about two hours, beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. Heron Arts is located in SoMa at 7 Heron Street on the block between 7th Street and 8th Street. There will be no charge for admission. However, registration will be required and may be enabled through an Eventbrite event page (which includes an interactive map showing the location of the venue). As of this writing, reservations for general admission will only be available through this Saturday, May 7. Because this event is donation-based, reservations may be supplemented with a donation. Standing room will be available in addition to seating. Those needing special assistance may contact the venue with electronic mail to hello@heronarts.com.

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