RAWdance Presents PORTAL

RAWdance, in partnership with TJPA's Salesforce Park, has announced the premiere of Portal, a free, public, site-specific live performance, which transforms the elevated garden into a multi-media ecosystem animated by evocative movement and physical storytelling.

Envisioned by Co-Artistic Director of RAWdance Katerina Wong with mixed media artist Ephraim Colbert, Portal investigates the intersections of skyscrapers and gardens, migration and stagnation, and belonging and isolation after an unprecedented year of collective challenge. The park's landscape will come alive through dynamic contemporary dance, text, lighting installation, video, and a layered soundscore to generate a dreamlike sensorial experience. Live performances will take place over Labor Day Weekend, from Friday, September 3 to Sunday, September 5 at 7:30pm. They are free and open to the public; no advance tickets or RSVP is required. More information can be found at rawdance.org/portal.

The first site-specific dance performance at Salesforce Park since its inception, Portal will take audiences on a journey from one end of the public park to the other, illuminating the landscaping and architecture with movement by six stellar Bay Area dance artists. "Rooted in our shared recent experiences during the pandemic, Portal strives to offer a space to process and reflect as a community, reimagine our collective hopes and dreams, and recommit ourselves to a future of progress through imagination," said Wong. Colbert added: "Traditionally movement and mixed media are seen as separate elements, one playing a backdrop to another. I'm excited for the audience to witness these forms working in conjunction with one another, to see the inclusivity that can be formed through mixed media and dance."

Salesforce Park's unique location atop TJPA's Salesforce Transit Center is owned and operated by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, an historic collaboration between San Francisco Bay Area government and transportation agencies delivering the Transbay program and manages the daily operations of the Center and Park.

"We are excited for RAWdance's Portal, the first-of-its-kind event at Salesforce Park, which will showcase the iconic beauty of the Park using contemporary dance movement and mixed media," said Nila Gonzales, TJPA Interim Executive Director. "We invite everyone to come watch the engaging free dance performances happening over the Labor Day weekend from September 3-5."

At nearly four-blocks long and home to 600 trees and 16,000 plants arranged in 13 different botanical feature areas, this iconic garden oasis brings together the city's vibrant and diverse communities, from technologists to artists, from locals to visitors, in a shared artistic gathering space. Audiences of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Please note, seating will be limited, and audiences will be asked to stand and mobilize throughout the Park for the majority of the one-hour long performance. City-mandated Covid protocols will be in place to ensure the safety of audiences and performers.

Portal is supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission.