THE BLACK CHOREOGRAPHER's FESTIVAL Summer Series Begins 9/7

In association with the African & African American Performing Arts Coalition, K*Star*Productions is pleased to announce the Black Choreographers Festival (BCF): Summer Series, September 7 - 8, at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts in Oakland. Starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday the 7th, the program will feature works by Kendra Kimbrough Barnes, Gregory Dawson and Reginald Savage, among others. Sunday's show starts at 3 p.m., and features more than half a dozen pre-professional youth dance groups from around the Bay Area, including Frankie Lee Peterson III, New Style Motherlode, Oakland School for the Arts, On Demand, Sweat and Zaccho Youth Dance Company.

Tickets are $10 to $25 and may be purchased online at bcfsummerseries.brownpapertickets.com.

Now in its third year, this edition of the BCF Summer Series takes place in honor of Arthur Mitchell, co-founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem. He passed away last September. "Mitchell set an extraordinary example of hard work and perseverance, essential qualities for any artist," said Barnes, director of K*Star*Productions. "He said, 'You must believe in what you're doing, and against all odds stick to it.'"

"I'm extremely excited about the return of our Sunday family matinee featuring youth pre-professional companies," continued Barnes. "As BCF honors its evolution over 15 years, there is so much talent we want to showcase that we can't do it all over a few weekends in Black History Month. Next month, we're providing a space for the next generation of professional dancers, ages 9 through 18, to shine."

"This year's Summer Series, taking place right at the beginning of the school year, is a very special way to serve the community, providing a forum to increase the visibility of African American art and culture, and the artists who create it," said Laura Elaine Ellis, director of the African & African American Performing Arts Coalition.

To amplify its youth component programming, BCF is partnering with Dancing Cy(i)phers: Hip Hop's Embodied Expression, which takes place at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, September 6 - 7. This two-day symposium brings together individuals interested in the wide world of hip hop, delving into the history of African American street dance and culture through a series of panels, master classes and workshops. Each of the youth companies performing in BCF's Summer Series will receive sponsorship to attend both days of the symposium.

In addition to this partnership, the Summer Series will include a "Q & A plus Cake" with the artists following each of the day's events. For more information, visit bcfhereandnow.com.

The Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now (BCF), with scheduled events throughout the year is directed by Bay Area nonprofits AAAPAC and K*Star*Productions. Since 2005, BCF has served local, national and International Artists with over 150 public events, acknowledging the diverse artistic expression within the context of African and African American dance and culture. BCF incorporates live performance, mentoring, master classes, workshops and special events, and is made possible by the continuous support of the San Francisco Arts Commission, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, as well as community partners Dance Mission Theater, Dimensions Dance Theater, ODC Theater and numerous small businesses and individual donors.