AXIS Dance Company Presents OCCUPY, 7/1-2

AXIS Dance Company, Dancers' Group and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival are pleased to present Occupy - A site-specific journey through an urban garden, July 1-2, 2017. Occupy is inspired by the history, design and architecture of Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco and the unique movement capabilities of AXIS Dance Company and their broader community of performers. All performances are free.

Commissioned by AXIS and directed and choreographed by the internationally renowned site artist, Stephan Koplowitz, and featuring a live score by the acclaimed composer and vocalist Pamela Z, Occupy mines the intersection of space and its connection to our personal, domestic, physical and spiritual bodies. How does our occupation and navigation of space, when the very notion is being challenged, translate into our sense of who we are? Who gets in? Who gets pushed out?

Koplowitz was inspired by the specific design of the Yerba Buena Gardens, how it balances the needs of urban and ecological worlds, and the history of the struggle of its creation. Occupy is a promenade performance of distinct chapters tied to specific locations in the gardens. Audiences will be guided from location to location. Featuring twenty performers, both with and without disabilities, Occupy offers both an immersive and expansive experience.

Occupy is the first event in a series of programs commemorating AXIS Dance Company's 30thAnniversary. It also marks AXIS Founder and longtime Artistic Director Judith Smith's final commission. Smith passes the torch to AXIS' new Artistic Director Marc Brew after nearly 20 years at the helm, and moves into a multi-faceted advocacy role as Founder & Director.

About Stephan Koplowitz

Stephan Koplowitz is an award winning director/choreographer/media artist known for his work on stage, film and site. His site work aims to alter people's perspectives of place, site, and scale, all infused with a sense of the human condition and is concerned with the intersection of natural, social and cultural ecologies within urban and natural environments. Since 1984 he has created 87 works (60 commissions) performed in the US, Europe and Asia. He is the recipient of an Alpert Award in the Arts, Guggenheim Fellowship, "Bessie Award" for "Sustained Achievement" and six NEA Choreography Fellowships. Recent works include commissions from La Mama Umbria International, The Ohio State University, San Diego Trolley Dances, to name a few. In August, 2017, he will premiere a multi-media site based work for over 50 performers in an historic mill factory for the Bates Dance Festival's 35th anniversary. www.stephankoplowitz.com

About AXIS Dance Company

AXIS Dance Company changes the face of dance and disability through Artistry, Engagement and Advocacy. Based in Oakland since 1987, AXIS is the nation's most acclaimed ensemble of performers with and without disabilities. Nearing its 30th year, AXIS is thrilled to announce the appointment of internationally renowned choreographer Marc Brew as its new Artistic Director. Under the Artistic Direction of Judith Smith from 1997-2016, AXIS' list of collaborators included Bill T. Jones, Stephen Petronio, Yvonne Rainer, Ann Carlson, David Dorfman, Marc Brew, Meredith Monk, Joan Jeanrenaud and Fred Frith. AXIS has toured to over 100 cities in US, Europe and Russia. The Company has received seven Isadora Duncan Dance Awards and has appeared twice on FOX TV's So You Think You Can Dance, exposing their innovative and relevant work of physically integrated dance to millions. Through education and outreach programs thousands of children and adults of all ages and abilities are inspired to dance each year. www.axisdance.org

About Dancers' Group

Dancers' Group promotes the visibility and viability of dance. Founded in 1982, it serves San Francisco Bay Area artists, the dance community and audiences through programs and services that are as collaborative and innovative as the creative process. As the primary dance service organization in the Bay Area, Dancers' Group supports the second largest dance community in the nation by providing many programs and resources that help artists produce work, build audiences, and connect with their peers and community.

www.dancersgroup.org

About Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is dedicated to enhancing the vitality and quality of life in parks and public spaces of Yerba Buena Gardens and SF through the curated presentation of admission-free artistic, community and cultural programs. Artistic excellence, accessibility, inclusion, and innovation are the hallmarks of YBGF, which strives to ensure that our audiences have the opportunity to gain greater understanding of diverse art forms and cultural heritages.www.ybgfestival.org