Yerba Buena Gardens ChoreoFest is a two-weekend festival of site-specific work, The YBG ChoreoFest showcases the extravagant creativity, diversity, and vibrancy of the Bay Area dance scene.

The dance festival promotes and presents contemporary, modern hip hop, and global dance forms.

Together, these companies have create the sixth annual YBG ChoreoFest with extraordinary performances throughout the Gardens’ lawns and architecture by an array of distinguished local dance companies.

Know Before You Go

• This program moves to various locations in the Gardens, spanning approx. 2 blocks or .5 miles
• 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 will be provided on both September 23 and September 30 events
• Feel free to ask event staff or volunteers for questions or assistance

YBG ChoreoFest—Day One
Saturday, September 23rd, 1 to 3 PM

Day One Artists
Fullstop Dance is a project-based contemporary dance company founded in San Francisco in 2015. Artistic Director Kathryn Florez is a freelance performer and teacher whose work has been presented all over the West Coast. Through Fullstop Dance, Florez has performed in works by internationally acclaimed choreographers including Nicole Von Arx, Tushrik Fredericks, and Kirill Berezovski.

Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company is an elegant, sensual, and captivating company that melds ancient forms with modern dance in an artistic and inventive marriage of styles. The company bridges the continuum from ancient to contemporary–from court dances of Chinese dynasties to contemporary works fusing classical Chinese movement, modern dance, and ballet—complemented by dazzling costumes and innovative staging.

Seeds and Sequins is a collaborative project between artists Europa Grace and Snowflake Calvert. Decolonial somatic movement practice and ancestral practices of care co-mingle to create sounds and shapes that reassociate the dissociated body-mind. The lineage of the seed becomes a mirror for the regenerative growth process of intergenerational blessings–all potential lies within. Watering these seeds and tending to the soil of time opens a doorway to tell queer creation stories.

TURF FEINZ is a dance group that was started by original dancers Taz, Flex, Looney, and Zach. Dreal became the 5th member and the rest was history. The group began performing smaller, free shows for years just for fun, and their skills evolved over time. Now TURF FEINZ consists of Chonkie, Eninja, icecold3000, NoNoize (aka Nohjustice), T7 (aka bread), Turf Kurry, and yaya. TURF FEINZ continues to aim for greatness by displaying content from party music, lit dancing, tribute videos, and even short stories.

Visit the YBG website for more details and videos of the dancers.

YBG ChoreoFest—Day Two
Saturday, September 30th, 1 to 3 PM

Day Two Artists
PUSH Dance Company, described as “emotional and kinetic” by the 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.

Mix’d Ingrdnts is a multi-ethnic, multi-genre dance collective composed of female-identified artists, who work together with the intent to contribute to the impact of social change. Mix’d Ingrdnts Dance Company was established in 2010 and exists to empower women to express themselves. Mix’d Ingrdnts strives to inspire those around them and through skillful artistry, uses their platform to continue to pave pathways for womxn and youth to authentically express themselves and utilize their very important and necessary voices.

Noorani Dance Company specializes in Kathak dance of South Asia and is comprised of pre-professional and professional dancers. Displaying a unique artistic sensibility that is both traditional and innovative, much of the work of NDC examines social and historical topics of South Asia that are relevant to a global society. NDC is committed to enlightening minds and hearts through the arts through traditional and innovative repertoire and performances and collaborative partnerships across other forms of performing arts.

David Herrera Performance Company prides itself in providing visibility, agency, and exposure of a diverse Latinx American experience within an American context. Rich in theatricality and immersed in nuanced, visceral movement, the company makes its statement by weaving dance, story-telling, music, and media into a textured conversation between Latinx cultures and a multicultural audience. The company is centered on equity and representation of Latinx peoples in modern dance arts as topic/themes, performers, choreographers, audience, curators, scholars, policymakers, teachers, and students.

Visit the YBG website for more details and videos of the dancers.

Yerba Buena Gardens is located at the Esplanade
Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Streets in San Francisco