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POWER SHIFT: Improvisation, Activism, and Community (2020)

Photos of Jarrel Phillips, estrellx supernova, Judith Sánchez Ruíz, sam wentz

The Festival POWER SHIFT: Improvisation, Activism, and Community (2020), co-curated by Cherie Hill, Hope Mohr, and Karla Quintero, invited artists, activists, and audiences to share in the practice and performance of improvisation. The full program featured voices from contemporary forms, transformative justice, racial justice, Capoeira, and more. As part of this Festival, B.L.A. presented a series of cutting-edge, improvisation-based performances by artists Jarrel Phillips, Estrellx Supernova, and Judith Sánchez Ruíz, with sam wentz which streamed live from San Francisco, Berlin, and Los Angeles. Collectively, these works drew inspiration from a diverse array of improvisation traditions including Capoeira, club dancing, post modern dance, and more.

Performance History

  • OCT 2, 2020: Real Talk # 1: Vectors of Adverse Desire | Estrellx Supernova (Joe Goode Annex, San Francisco)

  • OCT 9, 2020: Free Play | Jarrel Phillips (Joe Goode Annex, San Francisco)

  • OCT 10, 2020: Encaje | Judith Sánchez Ruíz (Dock11, Berlin)

  • OCT 11, 2020: PURPLE is | Judith Sánchez Ruíz, with sam wentz (Dock11, Berlin / CalArts, Los Angeles)

Curators 

Cherie Hill, Hope Mohr, Karla Quintero

Power Shift performances were made possible with funding from San Francisco Grants for the Arts, the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Zellerbach Family Foundation and individual donors. Judith Sánchez Ruíz’s “Encaje” performance was co-presented by Dock 11. Judith Sánchez Ruíz and sam wentz’s performance of PURPLE is received technical support from CalArts

Header Image (left to right): Estrellx Supernova by Ariel Appel; Judith Sánchez Ruíz by Zhong Qinyci

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