San Francisco TROLLEY DANCES Announces Fall Line Up

Epiphany Dance Theater has announced the program for the 14th annual season of San Francisco Trolley Dances (SFTD), October 21 to 22. This year's route travels along the N-Judah Muni line, from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in South of Market to Kezar Triangle in Golden Gate Park. Confirmed performers include Chaksam-Pa Tibetan Dance and Opera Company, Embodiment Project, Hope Mohr Dance, Kelly "Texas" Holly, little seismic dance company, Oscar Velarde and Maze Daiko in addition to Epiphany Dance Theater.

A total of 12 tours are scheduled over the weekend, six each day starting at 11am, 11:45am, 12:30pm, 1:15pm, 2pm and 2:45pm. Each tour runs approximately two hours. Admission to SFTD is free with the cost of a Muni ticket.

Each year Kim Epifano, artistic director of Epiphany Dance Theater now celebrating its 20th year, matches artists and ensembles with specific sites, inviting them to create an 8- to 15-minute piece in response to the physical environment, architecture and history of the area.

"It is dear to my heart that SFTD has become a beloved fall arts tradition, honoring the city's neighborhoods, its people and its artistic community in the most accessible environment possible," said Epifano.

The tours begin in South of Market at CIIS, with a performance by Chaksam-Pa, a Tibetan traditional performing arts organization based in the Bay Area. For almost 30 years Chaksam-Pa has presented concerts of Tibetan music, dance and drama to audiences around Northern California.

From there, the tour moves to a performance by Embodiment Project at the corner of Washburn and Mission Streets, the site of a three-story building with a trompe l'oeil facade by Los Angeles artist Shrine. Embodiment Project, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, will showcase its trademark blend of high-energy street dance, live song and theater.

Next is Stevenson Alley behind Market Square. Katie Faulkner's little seismic dance company, now in its 11th year, will occupy the space. Faulkner is a modern dancer and choreographer praised for the "economy" and "rigor" of her "formal values...that never preclude emotional candor" (San Francisco Chronicle).

SFTD audiences will then board the N-Judah Muni line at Van Ness Metro Station en route to the Circus Center near Golden Gate Park. A San Francisco institution, the Circus Center is one of the most advanced schools for the circus arts on the West Coast, with training in clowning, acrobatics, aerial arts, contortion and more. The Circus Center's history began in 1974, when Peggy Snider and Larry Pisoni founded The Pickle Family Circus, the iconic Bay Area troupe that kicked off the United States' circus renaissance movement.

Two alumni of the Circus Center will perform on the grounds of the school: Kelly "Texas" Holly, with specialties in clowning and stilt walking, and Oscar Velarde, a master juggler.

In a separate performance at the Circus Center will be members of Hope Mohr Dance, which like Embodiment Project celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Mohr founded Hope Mohr Dance after performing around the world in the companies of a number of pioneers of modern dance, including Trisha Brown, Lucinda Childs and Margaret Jenkins. Over the last decade she's earned a reputation for "boundary-pushing" art-making that lies at the intersection of dance, theater and community organizing.

From the Circus Center, audiences will cross Frederick Street and enter Golden Gate Park where the final event of the tour will take place in Kezar Triangle. There, Maze Daiko and Epiphany Dance Theater will join forces in a performance blending live music and dance. Maze Daiko, under the direction of Janet Koike, is a world music ensemble that mixes Japanese taiko with elements from West Africa and Western Europe.

At each site, trained volunteers greet audience members, while professional theater artists act as tour guides leading audiences along the performance journey. In addition to taking public transit, attendees have the option to walk or bike to the performance sites on their own. Route maps will be available on site and online at epiphanydance.org.

Kids on Track is the educational programming arm of SFTD that since 2007 has served Bay Area elementary through college students through in-school lecture demonstrations and workshops led by teaching artists. On October 20, Kids on Track students and their teachers are invited to experience SFTD performances on reserved tours culminating in a conversation with the featured artists.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO TROLLEY DANCES
San Francisco Trolley Dances is produced by Epiphany Dance Theater. An annual event now in its 14th year, SFTD is presented free to the public over one weekend every October. Inspired by the San Diego Trolley Dances, Artistic Director Kim Epifano has adapted the large-scale, site-specific event for San Francisco, working to sustain a public-private partnership that involves the San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority, multiple professional Bay Area artists and ensembles and the neighborhoods and community sites where the route is placed each year. SFTD aims to introduce audiences to new neighborhoods and new dance companies that reflect an array of sensibilities, cultures and styles. The unpredictable sounds and sights of San Francisco intermingle with the spontaneity of public response to ensure a dynamic, meaningful experience for audiences and performers. For more information, visit epiphanydance.org.

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