© 2024 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Crosscurrents

Dance Brigade: Where art and social issues get down

Photo courtesy of Robbie Sweeny

Iconic dance troupe Dance Brigade is celebrating its four decades of intersecting art and social issues with the show Gracias a La Vida - Love in a Bitter Time. The evening will touch on everything from immigration to freedom of the press, all with the company’s signature blend of fierce dancing, taiko drumming, and a live band.

KALW’s Jen Chien sat down with Dance Brigade’s Artistic Director Krissy Keefer to talk art, activism, and what happens next.

Keefer: I have had a great life. I have been able to be an artist and in the Bay Area, which is one of the most amazing places on the planet, and I'm grateful.

Dance Brigade will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with the performance Gracias a La Vida - Love in a Bitter Time this weekend at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

 

Tags
Crosscurrents Arts & Entertainment
Jen Chien was the managing editor for Crosscurrents and KALW News from 2016 to 2018. She has been a contributor to All Things Considered, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, BBC/PRI’s The World, Making Contact, SF Public Press, East Bay Express, New America Media, and KPFA in Berkeley, where she took part in the First Voice Apprenticeship Program. She is the recipient of the 2013 Outstanding Emerging Journalist Award from the Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California. She holds a BA in American Studies from Smith College, and an MA in Interdisciplinary Performance from New College of California. Before entering the field of journalism, she had a successful career as a professional dance and theater artist, teacher, and massage therapist.