ODC/Dance’s return to YBCA this April celebrates boundary-pushing contemporary dance and bi-coastal artistic collaboration. From April 10-13, 2025, the renowned San Francisco-based company presents Dance Downtown, featuring works from ODC Founding Artistic Director Brenda Way, Associate Choreographer Kimi Okada, and a world premiere by Guest Choreographer Sidra Bell, set to a live performance of a score by Mary Halvorson.
Bell, a dynamic, bi-coastal dance veteran known for evocative rigorous work, is the recipient of numerous awards, notably a 1st Prize for Choreography at the Solo-Tanz Theater Festival in Stuttgart, Germany in 2011. Bell has created over 100 commissioned works for companies worldwide.
“I was drawn to Mary Halvorson’s work because it’s this rare combination of formal, free, peculiar and very beautiful,” said Bell. “For me, jazz has a lot of love in it because of its responsiveness. You have to listen and be in the moment- a practice of attention. As the daughter of a jazz musician, I was brought up to appreciate how this music fosters a kind of mutuality with the people we’re working with.”
While Dance Downtown marks Bell’s first commission with ODC/Dance, her relationship with Way goes back to 2012 when the two were paired as part of a New England Foundation mentorship opportunity sponsored by LEVYdance.
“Since our time working together 13 years ago, I have appreciated her brainy and exuberant approach to movement-making, her craft and feminist sensibility,” said Way. “Sidra’s process demands a high degree of physicality and dancer input, and I look forward to seeing what she pulls from them.”
Rounding out the program will be Unintended Consequences (A Meditation) by Way, danced to Laurie Anderson’s biting perception of modern sensibility, and ODC founding member and Associate Choreographer Kimi Okada’s Inkwell, inspired by Max Fleischer’s noirish 1930’s cartoons As pillars of ODC’s artistic identity, Way and Okada consistently marry technical brilliance with emotional depth that “constantly, thrillingly teeters with risk” - San Francisco Chronicle. Way’s ability to weave complex narratives into her virtuosic work has long captivated audiences, while Okada’s notable theatricality brings humor and humanity to the stage. Together they showcase the rich, multifaceted nature of ODC/Dance’s repertory, offering a perfect counterpoint to Bell’s bold new premiere.
On Friday April 11, following a celebratory dinner by McCalls, a special one night only Gala Night program will feature three iconic pieces by founder Brenda Way and an excerpt of her new work, After the deluge, inspired by the profound shifts in our natural environment. Immediately following the performances, join ODC dancers, choreographers, collaborators and audiences for an unforgettable after-party with cocktails, delectable bites, dancing, and collective celebration.
More than brilliant, breathtaking dance, Dance Downtown is a testament to ODC’s five plus decades of providing a home for artistic discourse in the Bay Area. In an era where arts organizations are navigating daunting challenges, ODC’s ability to create work that feels both timeless and urgent is evidence of its artistic leadership and enduring commitment to culture-making and community.
Contact Information:
ODC
351 Shotwell St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-863-6606
[email protected]
odc.dance/downtown
Photography by: Courtesy of RJ Muna
