Program / Land Acknowledgement / About RAWdance / Artist Bios / About Yerba Buena Partnership / Special Thanks / Support
Program
12 & 2PM: Dance Performance
seymour::dancecollective
Tuning (2025)
Choreography: Chafin Seymour, in collaboration with the performers
Performance: Abigail Hinson, Johnny Huy Nguyễn, Daneille Noda, & Chafin Seymour
Music: Jeff Parker, Isaac Hayes, & Pharaoh Sanders
Text: Gil Scott-Heron
Karla Quintero
Star Light (work-in-progress)
Choreography & Performance: Karla Quintero
Site Staging & Movement Consultation: Jennifer Perfilio
Set Design: Jonathan Mindes
Music: Excerpts from Madonna & Bobby McFerrin, additional sounds mixed by Karla Quintero
Text: Excerpted lyrics from: “Express Yourself” by Madonna, “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge, & “Don’t Worry be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
RAWdance
Dance Bagatelle (2025)
Choreography: Ryan T. Smith & Wendy Rein, in collaboration with the performers
Performance: Kelly Del Rosario, Claire Fisher-Mendez, Nick Wagner, Stacey Yuen, & Leesha Zieber
Music: Ryo Miyashita & Shu Okuyama, Anonymous420, Nigar585, f r a g i l e, & Usilaya
Special thanks to Allegra Bautista, Yebel Gallegos, Carly Willow Johnson, Tayler Kinner, Elena Martins, Juliann Witt, & Katerina Wong for their contributions to earlier studies of the work.
Una Productions
Infinity (work-in-progress excerpts)
Direction: Fuchsia
Choreography: Fuchsia & the performers
Performance: Bobby, Kira Fargas//Leo Moon, Hadassah Perry//baby bleu, & Fuchsia
Music: Björk, Flako, Walter Murphy, & Queen
1 & 3PM: Music sets by DJ LA FEMME PAPI
Dance Break Production Manager: Jessi Barber
RAWdance Production & Program Manager: Twyla Malchow-Hay
Land Acknowledgement
It is with gratitude and humility that we acknowledge that this performance takes place on the unceded territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone people. We ask you to join us in acknowledging the Ramaytush Ohlone, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations. We encourage you to learn more about the land where you reside at NATIVE-LAND.CA. To take direct action towards rematriation, read about the Bay Area’s Shuumi Land Tax.
About RAWdance
RAWdance creates adventurous, thoughtful, and welcoming programming that challenges what contemporary dance is, where it happens, who it includes, and the role it plays in our lives. Based in San Francisco and in the Hudson Valley, the award-winning company transforms theaters and public spaces through performance, curation, collaboration, and film. “Witty, whip-smart, and beautiful to watch” (San Francisco Chronicle), RAWdance was awarded a Sustained Achievement Izzie Award in 2025 for outstanding and sustained performance. The company is led by Co-Artistic Directors Wendy Rein and Ryan T. Smith.
A Home Company of ODC Theater, RAWdance has been supported through residencies across the country and has performed live throughout the US and in Asia. Its short dance films have been screened on four continents. RAWdance prioritizes increasing access to art by bringing dance directly into the public sphere, with performances in parks, libraries, galleries, restaurants, a mall, a boat house, and more. In 2021, the company launched Radiate, a fellowship program for early career Bay Area BIPOC dance artists.
Artist Bios
KELLY DEL ROSARIO (he/him) was born and raised in Mililani, HI. He began his studies in Dance in 2001 at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his BFA in Dance in 2005. Upon graduation, Kelly moved to San Francisco where he has worked with various artists including the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, Project Agora, Sarah Bush Dance Project, Robert Moses’ Kin, project.b, and RAWdance.
KIRA FARGAS // leo moon (she/her) is a queer, first-generation Filipinx-American movement artist, choreographer, educator, and drag performer. She grew up dancing at the Westlake School for the Performing Arts in Daly City, CA, and received a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona in 2017. Kira performs and collaborates with Una Productions, EIGHT/MOVES (Mia Chong), and Detour Productions (Eric Garcia and Kat Gorospe Cole). Her own work has been showcased at Una Productions’ Glimpse, ODC’s State of Play, and BODYSONNET’s OTHER/self. Central to her artistic practice are explorations of her Filipinx and queer identity—honoring both her cultural history and her chosen family.
CLAIRE FISHER-MENDEZ (she/her) was born and raised in Tracy, California. She received a majority of her training from Alonzo King LINES Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, & Northwest Dance Project. Now a dance artist in San Francisco, she has appeared in several works and collaborations with wonderful artists and companies such as Bellwether Dance Project, dazaun.dance, Fullstop Dance, Garrett + Moulton Productions, Liv Schaffer, Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, and RAWdance.
FUCHSIA (they/she) is a choreographer, drag artist, costume designer, educator, and the Artistic Director of San Francisco based Una Productions. They are Queer, genderqueer and a proud pup parent. Fuchsia has taught, created and set repertory for universities, training programs, professional companies, youth companies, and public high schools. Una creates and performs original productions that incorporate contemporary dance, drag performance, and live-music. Una’s multi-disciplinary works have been presented internationally. Fuchsia is also a contributing director with Detour Productions, a devised-dance-theater company creating immersive shows in SF. As a drag artist and performer, Fuchsia is a part of the house of Clutch the Pearls, performing regularly at the monthly show, around the Bay Area, and beyond.
ABIGAIL HINSON is a San Francisco-based movement artist, educator, choreographer, and lover of people. Her work strives to cultivate joy and better understand the human experience. Abigail most identifies within a Contemporary framework with influences ranging over years of training in studios, clubs, and other social contexts. Styles she’s studied and enjoys fusing include Commercial Choreography, Contemporary, Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Breakdancing, Liturgical dance, Contact Improvisation, Gaga, West Coast Swing, and Butoh.
LA FEMME PAPI is a non-binary, first-generation Salvadoran American DJ and educator from San Francisco whose work centers the joy and healing of women, immigrants, queer & trans people of color.
JOHNNY HUY NGUYỄN (he/him) is a Vietnamese multidisciplinary dance artist based in unceded Ramaytush – Ohlone territory (SF) and son of courageous refugees. Representing Grim Reminder Crew from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and fluency in street dance, contemporary dance, and martial arts, he weaves together movement, theater, media, spoken word, ritual, and installation to create physical works that investigate masculinity, lineage, and intergenerational trauma through a healing lens. Johnny is a 2023 United States of Asian America Festival Featured Artist, 2022 Isadora Duncan Dance Award recipient, and 2021 APAture Festival Featured Artist. His work has been presented by API Cultural Center, 500 Capp St, and Asian Art Museum. His dance films have shown nationally and internationally – Contact Dance International Film Festival (Canada), Dance Camera Istanbul (Turkey).
DANIELLE NODA (she/her) began her dance training at NCDC under the direction of Jen Bradford. She was awarded the Virginia Ann Excellence in Dance Scholarship which allowed her to continue her training at San Jose State University and perform as a company member of University Dance Theater. Danielle received her BFA in Dance from San Jose State University with the “Above and Beyond” and “Pandemic Pandemonium” award for her performance and artistry in dance. She is currently a company member with SjDanceCo. Noda has danced professionally for Kara Davis, Nhan Ho, Rogelio Lopez, Diane Frank, Jenni Hong Dance, Maria Basile, Jhia Jackson, Conni Mckenzie, Natasha Adorlee, KT Nelson, Hsiang Hsiu Lin and seymour::dance collective. Outside of the studio, Danielle is passionate about collaborating with artists of other disciplines.
HADASSAH PERRY // baby bleu (she/they) is a queer artist and performer based in San Francisco. Originally from Riga, Latvia, she began her training in dance and piano before relocating to Nashville, Tennessee. In 2017, she joined New Dialect under Banning Bouldin, working with choreographers including Alex Ketley, Rosie Herrera, Bryan Arias, and Roy Assaf. Since moving to San Francisco in 2022, Hadassah has performed and collaborated with UNA Productions, Detour Productions, Sharp & Fine, and Deborah Slater. Her choreography has been presented by UNA Productions’ Glimpse, New Dialect, and Kindling Arts Festival. She is co-director of the Contemporary Training Program at Westlake School for the Performing Arts and teaches at Training Ground SF.
KARLA QUINTERO (she/her) has a cross-genre improvisation performance practice is informed by contemporary, club and partner dance, somatics, and a deep love of genre (ie. horror, telenovelas). Across her 14+ years performing, she has danced works by Gerald Casel, Hope Mohr, Catherine Galasso, Robert Moses, Alma Esperanza Cunningham, Aura Fischbeck among others. Karla collaborates closely with dance artist Belinda He under the shared identity ALLOYED METTLES, recently in residence at Dance Nucleus (Singapore) & featured by MR at Judson Church (NYC). She explores the intersection of dance and horror in film and media with Shareen DeRyan through the collaboration GRUMN. Karla is based in Huichin/Oakland.
WENDY REIN (she/her) is a native New Yorker, and has been dancing and breaking furniture since age 3. With a BA from Brown University, she brings over 20 years of professional experience in the field to her work as a performer, choreographer producer, curator, and teacher. She worked with Misnomer Dance Theater before moving to San Francisco, where Wendy co-founded RAWdance with Ryan Smith and had the privilege of performing with Amy Seiwert, ODC/Dance, Deborah Slater, Alma Esperanza Cunningham, Nancy Karp, Mary Carbonara, and Todd Eckert, among many others. She also worked for seven years both in front of the camera and behind the scenes on a series of dance film projects with RJ Muna. Wendy moved to NY’s Hudson Valley in 2019 as the company expanded to two locations.
CHAFIN SEYMOUR (he/him) is originally from Brooklyn, NY. His work has been presented throughout NYC and nationally at venues such as Center for Performance Research (CPR), Triskelion Arts, Dixon Place, Livestream Public, Gibney Dance, The Wild Project, New York Live Arts, Movement Research at Judson Church, ODC Theater, The Ohio Dance Festival and The American Dance Festival among others. He was an inaugural Ann & Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellow at Jacob’s Pillow in 2018 and has been commissioned by such organizations as the Limon Company (NYC), Modern American Dance Company (MADCO) in St. Louis, LINES Ballet Training Program (SF) among others. He holds a BFA with Distinction in Dance from The Ohio State University and an MFA in Choreography from the University of Iowa. Chafin resides in the Bay Area, CA and serves as an Assistant Professor of Contemporary Dance at San Jose State University.
RYAN T. SMITH (he/him) is a queer dance-maker, performer, curator, and connector. A Co-Founder of RAWdance, he has served as Co-Artistic Director since 2004, creating dozens of works for stage, alternative locations, and film with creative partner Wendy Rein. As a dancer, he has performed for artists such as Amy Seiwert, Alma Esperanza Cunningham, and Stephen Pelton. He was a member of the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company from 2005-2016, touring nationally and internationally, and participating in several collaborations with artists and organizations in Kochin, Kolkata, Guangzhou, and Jerusalem. Originally from outside of Boston, MA, Ryan received his B.A. in Theatre Arts and French Literature from Brown University before moving to San Francisco. In 2019, after 16 years in the Bay, he moved his primary residence to High Falls, a small hamlet in New York’s Hudson Valley.
BROOKE TERRY x BOBBY (they/she) brooke became fully immersed in the San Francisco Bay Area dance community in 2022. They have since collaborated with dawsondancesf, REYES Dance, Xochipilli Dance Company, Audrey Johnson, David Herrera Performance Co, Joe Goode Performance Group, Una Productions, as a movement consultant and deviser/performer with DETOUR Productions, and as faculty with TEENS at LINES. brooke has recently been exploring the intersections of their love of performance and their ever evolving queerness, as Bobby, and is grateful to indulge in the playful joys of Drag.
NICK WAGNER (he/him) hails from the Seattle area and earned a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Kinesiology from Chapman University. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2017, he has had the opportunity to perform with several dance companies, most notably RAWdance since 2017. He is also a certified massage therapist (CMT), Responsive Body practitioner, Barnes-style myofascial release therapist, and is training to become a biodynamic craniosacral therapist (RCST). When not in the studio, Nick manages his bodywork practice based in the Castro specializing in compounding conditions, musculoskeletal and postural issues, and trauma-informed autonomic nervous system regulation. For more information, visit nwbodywork.com.
STACEY YUEN (she/her) is a Bay Area native, and received her BFA in Dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She went on to work with Seán Curran and the Santa Fe Opera, and to travel to Greece to perform in works by Johannes Wieland and Stella Zannou at the one small step dance festival. She spent three seasons as a dancer and rehearsal director with the Sticky Trace Company in Germany. Since returning to the Bay, Stacey has worked with Robert Moses, Katie Faulkner, Jennifer Perfilio, Lenora Lee Dance, Alyssandra Katherine Dance Project, and RAWdance.
LEESHA ZIBER (they/them) is a white-passing QTPOC dance artist based in San Francisco. They grew up moving and grooving in Santa Cruz before graduating summa cum laude from San Francisco State University with a BA in dance and mathematics. Leesha has collaborated with KAMBARA+, ayanadancearts, and Dance Brigade among others. They are excited to be working with RAWdance this season.
About Yerba Buena Partnership
Yerba Buena Partnership is a nonprofit community benefit district that brings people together to enhance the downtown Yerba Buena neighborhood for all who live, work and visit. Since 2008, they have provided services and programs to help ensure that the neighborhood is clean, safe and welcoming.
Special Thanks
This program is supported by Yerba Buena Partnership, Mayor Daniel Lurie, and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development. RAWdance’s programming is supported in part by Grants for the Arts, the San Francisco Foundation, and the Sam Mazza Foundation. Special thanks to Millennium Partners and to Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Fernando Padilla, and all of our volunteers.
Support
Individual donations are essential to ensure that RAWdance can continue to create and present relevant, accessible, and exceptional dance now and into the future.