This week’s Dance First Insight is from Breaking Down Walls!
This week’s Dance First insight is from Breaking Down Walls, celebrating our shared humanity through performing arts showcasing dance, music, theatre, poetry, comedy, and animation.
This event is raising money for House of Ukraine and is taking place at San Francisco’s Cowell Theater in Fort Mason on Saturday, June 11. This event will also be offered online on June 26.
Dance First members will especially enjoy Mia J. Chong – Choreographer, Dancer, and Princess Grace Award Recipient. In a special collaboration, choreographer Mia J. Chong, the movement artists of Post: ballet and multi-instrumentalist and composer Vân-Ánh Võ will explore the journey towards discovering commonality beyond the walls that divide us. The power of togetherness will be celebrated through the blending of sound and movement in this dynamic, multi-faceted contemporary dance work.
The other diverse cast of performers will each debut new works created especially for this project, Broadcast Music Award and Emmy nominee singer/songwriter Will Hammond, Jr.; innovative and educational theatre group Teatro Nagual (TeNa); readings from Poet Laureates Aileen Cassinetto, Tureeda Mikell, Kim Shuck, Maw Shein Win; and special animation short by Slovak director Jaroslav Baran. The evening’s emcee is Dhaya Laskhminarayanan, a San Francisco comedian and writer whose storytelling livens NPR’s Snap Judgment, The Moth Radio Hour, and more.
All proceeds go to Ukraine relief efforts.
The Breaking Down Walls project was conceived and is being produced by Ron Merk, Founder/Director of Film and Cultural Programs at The Metro Film and Arts Foundation. “The Breaking Down Walls project is a unique example of how we can find common ground to unite us, and allow us to see how much that person on the other side of the wall is more like us than different,” said Merk. “This kind of realization can lead to healing and solidarity, and to a better world for future generations.”
Refreshments will be available for purchase. General admission tickets are $25 in advance at Eventbrite.
A documentary produced and directed by Ron Merk and Derrick Scocchera, which chronicles the creation of the Breaking Down Walls project, will be available for streaming in 2023.
About J & J Arts Initiative
Funding from J & J Arts Initiative has made it possible for The Metro Film and Arts Foundation to support the work of more than 75 artists and theatrical production team members involved in the development and realization of the Breaking Down Walls project.
About The Metro Film and Arts
The Metro Film and Arts Foundation supports a wide range of arts and social issues through its programs. This includes filmmaking, theatre, film preservation, and individual grants to artists. This is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in San Francisco, California, that relies on donations and grants to sustain the important work of preserving films and supporting the arts and artists.
About House of Ukraine
Founded in 1960, the House of Ukraine, Inc., a non-profit community organization, fosters a spirit of understanding and cooperation among the various national groups represented in the House of Pacific Relations, International Cottages, in Balboa Park, San Diego CA. In addition to providing information to the public about the art, history, customs, language, and traditions of Ukraine, since the Russian invasion, members and San Diego community volunteers have successfully solicited, received, and delivered much-needed humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The House of Ukraine is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. https://houseofukraine.org.
In-person Event:
When: June 11, 2022, 6:30pm Doors; 7:00 – 8:30pm Show
Where: The Cowell Theatre, Fort Mason
North end Pier 2, San Francisco 94123
Tickets: Online at eventbrite.com/e/breaking-
Online Event:
When: June 26, 2022, 4:00pm PDT
Where/Tickets/Info: https://www.metrofilmandarts.
(June 26 stream only)
More about the other artists:
- Will Hammond, Jr. – Singer, Songwriter
Broadcast Music Award and Emmy nominee Will Hammond, Jr. penned the RIAA gold-selling single “Hold You Tight” by Tara Kemp. Hammond will debut “A World Parade,” with a message to build up and break down what divides.
- Teatro Nagual – Theatre Group
Confronting issues of economic well-being, health disparities, environmental justice, immigration challenges, and even voter participation have been the focus of Sacramento-based Teatro Nagaul. In a one-act play, a Latina abuelita (granny) struggles with generational communication challenges that have built a high wall between herself and her grandchildren.
Poets and Poet Laureates will, like roots, push through the wall to grow and make connections using words. Aileen Cassinetto, Tureeda Mikell, Kim Shuck, and Maw Shein Win present poetic art that supports and reflects their communities.
- Aileen Cassinetto – Poet Laureate Fellow and Poet Laureate of San Mateo
- Tureeda Mikell – Award-winning poet and educator
- Maw Shein Win – Poet Laureate Fellow
- Jaroslav Baran – Animation Director
Slovak artist Jaroslav Baran has directed more than 200 films, during Communist rule and after the transition to capitalism in his country. He continues to train young animators to keep the tradition of hand-drawn animation alive. Jaro has created a whimsical film about the interaction of two beings who find a way to break through a dividing wall of preconceived notions. He uses the Slovak animation style.
- Dhaya Laskhminarayanan – Emcee, Comedian, Storyteller
For more information, visit: metrofilmandarts.org/breaking-
