Berkeley Dance Project 2024

POP-UP DANCE EXCHANGE

Background image: "Carving Water" choreographed by Iu-Hui Chua for Berkeley Dance Project 2024
Image credit:
"Carving Water" by Iu-Hui Chua / Photo by Robbie Sweeny

Directed by Lisa Wymore & Iu-Hui Chua
February 22–25, 2024
Zellerbach Playhouse

Celebrating Berkeley's diverse and vibrant community of movers and makers, our annual dance concert features new choreography by faculty members Lisa Wymore and Iu-Hui Chua, guest artist Sila "Poe" Charukesnant, and talented student dancers.

Ranging from lively group pieces to intimate solo acts, the Pop-Up Dance Exchange brings together explorations across styles, cultures, and genres in an embracing space where dynamic movers can share their unique expressions. 

Join us for this exciting array of ideas in motion!


Program Overview:

  • Carving Water by Iu-Hui Chua (faculty) is a collaborative ensemble piece that draws inspiration from the dancers’ life experiences. The piece probes the continuously evolving journey of our dancing identities by discovering the ties that bind and move us.
  • Otherworld by Lisa Wymore (faculty) is a quartet inspired by Slavic folklore involving the ambiguous and enigmatic figure of Baba Yaga, a fearsome woman who is depicted as both gruesome and benevolent, familiar and unfamiliar, real and not real. Using a virtual reality environment mixed with the live performance, the piece imagines visiting a trio of Baba Yagas and questions what happens to us when our "real" bodies no longer exist in the world but continue to live in the digital domain.
  • Crooked Smile by Sila "Poe" Charukesnant (guest artist) is a hip-hop-style piece inspired by the music of J. Cole. It centers on the idea of embracing one's flaws while keeping one's head up.
  • Fragments II by Freddie Segura Glavey (alumnus) is a duet about finding stability within its own created chaos.
  • To the Soulmates I Once Called Strangers by Teo Lin-Bianco (alumnus) is a duet that considers the surprising emotional intimacy to be found in the arms of a stranger.
  • Don’t Give Up, Just Keep Going by Erin Yoon (student) is a solo that explores themes of resilience, perseverance, and hope.
  • Ballet Folklórico Reflejos del Sol will perform a series of vibrant Mexican folk dances.
  • Danceworx will perform Fishbowl, a large contemporary piece that zooms into the experience of isolation and loneliness on campus, while also celebrating the warmth and comfort that finding community offers.
  • Fei Tian Dancers will perform two traditional Chinese dances, Slow Tone and Celebration.