Here. Now.

A collaborative outdoor dance work exploring the different practices of mindfulness and meditation and the journey towards fulfillment, enlightenment and interconnectedness.

Saturdays and Sundays, November 6-7th and 13-14th, 2021

A Creative Partnership with Alyssa Mitchel & The Exploratorium

Dancers Aidan O’Leary, Vincent Chavez, Sawako Gannon, Jessica DeFranco, Ashley Burdick, Donivan Harding, Jasper Sanchez and Olivia Holston photographed by Kyle Adler.

A Note from the Choreographer and Artistic Director, Alyssa Mitchel

It’s my great pleasure to welcome you to the world premiere of Here. Now.

While I’m not a Buddhist, mindfulness meditation has been part of my morning routine ever since 2017, when I began practicing daily ten-minute meditations. Clearing my mind, following my breath and becoming in tune with my body enhances my ability to accept myself and to interact with others in a more balanced way. My morning practice enables me to sharpen my focus so that I’m able to set specific intentions for the day.

I began creating Here. Now. in the fall of 2019, following my production of The Classroom at ODC. During a choreography residency at Moving Arts Academy of Dance, I started exploring the ways in which I could bring my passion for meditation and mindfulness practices to my choreography. I focused on the idea of “noting,” the process of returning to the breath when we realize the mind has drifted off. I combined a guided meditation from Headspace—a meditation app that I use—with instrumental music to create a nine-minute solo I performed at the end of my residency. In Here. Now., you’ll see dancer Fabiana Santiago perform this original solo in the third section of the performance.

I took a break from choreographing with the onset of the pandemic, but as the shelter-in-place order continued, I was itching to get back to creating. In June, I joined a running group that ran along the Embarcadero. Walking past the Exploratorium after my first short run with the group, I was mesmerized by the glowing Buckyball. I’m also a math tutor and the hexagons and pentagons that shape the Buckyball immediately sparked my interest. In addition, I loved how much space there was to move throughout the plaza. As a child, I visited the Exploratorium at its previous site—the Palace of Fine Arts—multiple times with my family and on school fieldtrips. I even celebrated one of my birthday parties at the Tactile Dome. Now, as I stood outside the new building, it became clear to me that this was the location where I was meant to create my next project! Partnering with the Exploratorium has been a privilege and a joy. The Exploratorium has been my safe place to create art, meet new collaborators and develop this production during a period of isolation and so many unknowns.

In July 2020, I was selected to choreograph a new work, curated by the Isolation Project, run by choreographer Cole Companion and composer Mahlon Berv. Cole and Mahlon matched me up with my brilliant composer, Julian Drucker. Thank you, Cole and Mahlon! Together, for the isolation project, Julian and I created Loving Kindness, which has become the first of six sections of Here. Now. Before I began choreographing each new section of Here. Now., Julian and I would meet via Zoom to talk through our ideas. Julian has been an ideal partner in this endeavor. He listens to my ideas and seems to magically translate them into music. I admire his hard work, passion, kindness, research, creativity and ingenuity. I’m so grateful to Julian and I’m looking forward to several future collaborations.

“Loving Kindness” included a cast of five talented dancers: Ashley Burdick, Vincent Chavez, Cora Cliburn, Jessica DeFranco and Sawako Gannon. We rehearsed at the Exploratorium all summer and shot the new work with videographer Clare Schweitzer. The video reached over ten thousand viewers on Facebook and was featured on the Exploratorium’s social media platforms. I’ve since expanded our cast: Ismael Acosta, Ashley Burdick, Vincent Chavez, Jessica DeFranco, Sawako Gannon, Olivia Holston, Keith Makishima, Perez Perez, Jasper Sanchez and Fabiana Santiago. Finally, I’ve also been fortunate to have had the incredible Jamielyn Duggan on our team as costume designer.

This production fuses the artistic styles of artists from a variety of backgrounds. My intention is to bring the artists and the audience together as one big collaborative community. My hope is that all those in attendance today—from toddlers to grandparents—will be inspired to spread loving kindness to their own communities!

Finally, there are so many people I'd like to thank who made Here. Now. possible. I am grateful for my family, particularly my parents and sister who endlessly listened to my ideas and consistently gave me their thoughts and feedback. I am indebted to my talented, kind, intelligent, hard-working, thoughtful and creative collaborators who poured their hearts and souls into this production and made the vision come to life. Thank you to all of the donors for your support! I'd also like to express my gratitude to the Isolation Project, Moving Arts Academy of Dance and Star Dance Studio for all of their incredible support. Lastly, a special thanks to the Exploratorium for this incredible opportunity. I am honored to have developed a partnership and look forward to future collaborations!

Alyssa Mitchel is a fiscally sponsored project by Dancers' Group.

Choreographer: Alyssa Mitchel

Dancers: Ismael Acosta, Ashley Burdick, Vincent Chavez,
Jessica DeFranco, Sawako Gannon, Olivia Holston, Keith Makishima,
Perez Perez, Jasper Sanchez and Fabiana Santiago

Composer: Julian Drucker

Costume Designer: Jamielyn Duggan

Made possible by a partnership with the Exploratorium

~PROGRAM~

Section 1: Loving Kindness
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be content.
May you experience love.
May you experience kindness.
May your life be rich and full and meaningful.

Music: Julian Drucker
Dancers: Ashley Burdick, Vincent Chavez, Jessica DeFranco, Sawako Gannon and Fabiana Santiago

Section 2: Tonglen
Transforming suffering.

Music: Julian Drucker
Dancers: Ismael Acosta with Jessica DeFranco

Section 3: Noting
Whenever your mind drifts, return your focus to the breath.

Music: "Nothing is Something Worth Doing" by Shpongle, Audio: Andy Puddicombe
Dancer: Fabiana Santiago

Section 4: Four Noble Truths
The essence of the Buddha's Teachings.

Music: Julian Drucker
Dancers: Jessica DeFranco, Sawako Gannon and Olivia Holston

Section 5: Eightfold Path
Right understanding, right intent, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

Music: Julian Drucker
Dancers: Vincent Chavez and Fabiana Santiago

Section 6: Body Scan
Following the breath, pay attention to sensations in the feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, lower back, pelvis, stomach, chest, heartbeat, hands, fingertips, arms, back, shoulder, throat, scalp, head, face, entire body and finally inhale, exhale and awaken.

Music: Julian Drucker
Dancers: Ismael Acosta, Ashley Burdick, Vincent Chavez, Jessica DeFranco, Sawako Gannon, Olivia Holston, Keith Makishima, Perez Perez (11/6 & 11/7), Jasper Sanchez (11/13 & 11/14)

*The production runs exactly one hour in length

Biographies of the Creative Team

Alyssa Mitchel (choreographer, artistic director and producer) is a San Francisco based choreographer. The recipient of a Trustee Merit Scholarship, she earned a B.A. in Liberal Studies/Teacher Preparation with a minor in mathematics from the Dominican University of California, graduating Summa Cum Laude with Honors. Alyssa has danced with Garrett+Moulton Productions, SpectorDance, Peter & Co., eMotion Arts Dance Company, Labayen Dance and SOULSKIN Dance, among others. Her original and collaborative works have been set on several professional Bay Area companies and she has shown her work at numerous festivals nationwide.

Alyssa is the winner of the 2019 Choreography Competition of the International Dance Festival of Silicon Valley. She is also an awardee of the Lighting Artists in Dance Grant (a program supported by Dancers’ Group) for Mitchel’s full-length production, The Classroom (ODC Studio B, September 2019). Alyssa is also a recipient of the Classical Girl Giving Grant (Fall Quarter 2019). She is an awardee of the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance-Ensemble for the 2018-2019 season. In May 2020, she was hand selected to be the first woman choreographer and guest speaker for Oberlin College’s newest podcast, “It’s About Damn Time.” Additionally, she has been granted residencies and commissions at DanceBARN (deferring to July 2022), ODC Pilot 70 and 71, Bay Pointe Ballet, Moving Arts, LEVYdance, SAFEhouse Arts, Mark Foehringer Dance Project SF and Marin Dance Theatre. Festivals include the Seattle International Dance Festival, Versatility Dance Festival, PUSHfest, HH11 Dance Festival, San Francisco International Arts Festival, Dance Makers, Dance Mission Choreographer’s Showcase and the Youth American Grande Prix. Alyssa teaches all levels of contemporary dance, choreography, ballet, and core strength to young dancers, teens and adults. She’s also a devoted math, reading, writing, test prep and study skills tutor for students ranging from elementary school through college. Alyssa is honored to have developed an artistic partnership with the Exploratorium.

Julian Drucker (composer) began his music supervision career at Deep Cut Music under Maggie Phillips, with whom he worked on numerous award-winning series and films, including The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), Homecoming (Amazon), Legion (FX) and Isn’t It Romantic (New Line). At the start of 2019, Julian became the first employee at Yay Team Productions, led by Amanda Krieg Thomas, where he has been working as a Music Coordinator on a wide array of critically-acclaimed TV and film projects, such as American Horror Story (FX), Pose (FX), Big Mouth (Netflix) and upcoming movie musical The Prom (Netflix).

Originally from New York City, Julian grew up with two professional string players as parents and has been surrounded by wonderful music from an early age. He studied musical theater composition at Yale and has written music and lyrics for two full-length musicals, both of which have been given workshops and performances in theaters across the country. Julian is an active composer in a variety of genres, writing regularly for pop artists, classical ensembles and film and video game scores.

Jamielyn Duggan (costume designer) is a multidisciplinary San Francisco artist rooted in contemporary performance and visual design. Spanning a twenty-year career in the field, she holds experience in varied forms as a dancer, designer, stylist, director, choreographer, model and actress through the mediums of live performance, experiences, photography and film. Currently she is a tenured dancer with the San Francisco Opera, owner/creative director of Eimaj Design and a curious student of human life. She is grateful to be expanding her creative practices through inspired collaborative action during this pivotal time.

Biographies of the Dancers

Ismael Acosta, originally from Sonora, Mexico, received his dance training from Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey. After graduating, he danced with the Ballet de Monterrey until 2009. Ismael performed with Cuerpo Etereo, a modern dance company throughout Mexico and the USA until 2012. He moved to San Francisco to become part of the Bay Area dance community.

Ashley Burdick is from Gilroy, California. She began taking dance lessons at the age of five, then started her serious ballet training with South Valley Dance Arts in Morgan Hill and Lise La Cour’s LaCademy of Ballet in San Jose. She spent multiple summers training with American Ballet Theatre in Texas and New York. Ashley attended the University of California Santa Barbara as a dance major in 2015, before joining State Street Ballet as a trainee in 2016. She performed with the trainee program and professional company for three years and taught ballet classes at local dance studios. Since moving back to the Bay Area in 2019, she has danced for eMotion Arts Dance Co., Flight Dance Collective, Spector Dance, and freelance choreographers Meghan Horowitz and Alyssa Mitchel. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology at the University of San Francisco.

Vincent Chavez was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he grew up competing on the local Rodeo circuit. Once he chose ballet over broncos, he received his formal dance education and training from Dance Theater Southwest (Albuquerque), Ballet Hispanico (New York), Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre (Las Vegas) and Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program (San Francisco). As a result of his strict training and creative educational experiences, Vincent was chosen to perform with leading dance companies and several renown choreographers; Robert Moses, Graham Lustig, Michael Lowe, James Canfield, Garrett+Moulton, Gregory Dawson, Philein Wang, Val Caniparoli, Amy Seiwert and Christopher Huggins included. In addition to his notable dance career, Vincent works independently as a San Francisco Bay Area Dance Artist, teaching, choreographing, collaborating, and performing throughout the United States.

Jessica DeFranco is a Bay Area native and began her dance training at a young age with ballet classes in her hometown of Santa Clara. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from San Francisco State University, performing with the University Dance Theater company for three consecutive years. Her choreography was also selected to represent the School of Theater and Dance at the 2018 American College Dance Association conference. She’s performed in works by Garrett + Moulton Productions, Robert Moses Kin, Kristin Damrow, Alyssa Mitchel, Tanya Chianese, Katie Faulkner, Flight Dance Collective, and eMotion Arts Dance Co. When she’s not performing, Jess is a dance educator, teaching ballet to students ranging from beginner level through pre-professional. While attending SFSU, she also received her minor in Asian American Studies from the College of Ethnic Studies. She spends her free time furthering these studies as an avid reader.

Sawako Gannon is a freelance dancer based in the San Francisco Bay Area from Japan. Upon moving to San Francisco from Tokyo, Gannon graduated with a B.A. in Dance from San Francisco State University. Gannon trained with Ray Tadio and Cathleen McCarthy, as well as academic instruction from Yutian Wong and had the privilege of working with choreographers such as Anna Harris’s Driven Arts Collective, Jennifer Gerry, Joselyn Reyes, Joe Landini’s dog+pony, Raissa Simpson's PUSH Dance Company as a Pathway program dancer and Alyssa Mitchel. Gannon currently dances with Andrea Salazar’s A Pulso Dance Project and David Herrera’s David Herrera Performance Company.

Olivia Caldeira Holston was born in São Sebastião, Brazil and was raised in California. She received her BA Honours degree from the London Contemporary Dance School in 2019. She attended summer intensives such as the Alvin Ailey Professional and Junior Divisions in New York as well as P.A.R.T.S. and Eastman in Belgium. Since graduating, Olivia has had the opportunity to work with Paufve Dance, Bellwether Dance Project, and Rebecca Morris and dancers. In addition, she choreographed and performed in the dance video project “SweetWire” directed by Greg Niemeyer at UC Berkeley. She has taught in ODC’s and Shawl Anderson Dance Center’s youth programs as well as given master classes at Marin Academy. Olivia is currently working with Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, David Herrera Performance Company, and A Pulso Dance Project.

Perez Perez, a former wrestler, has always loved dancing but never had any formal training until 2020. His styles include shuffling, breakdancing, tutting, popping and contemporary. He regularly attends and helps organize meetups of the Bay Area Shuffle & Flow club. Here. Now. is Perez’s debut as a professional dancer.

Keith Makishima is a popper and shuffler based in San Francisco who grew up in the greater Sacramento region. Keith’s interest in dancing began in middle school when he discovered Michael Jackson and Quest Crew. However, his experience in the dance community did not officially begin until his sophomore year at UC Davis. With the UC Davis Popping Club, Keith learned about expression, rhythm, and control through freestyle popping and occasionally breaking. He danced primarily to funk music and EDM, but further investigation of the EDM and House Music community led to his introduction with shuffling. Keith has used his background in popping in combination with the complex footwork of shuffling to develop his own unique style of dance. Keith teaches shuffling through the Bay Area Shuffle & Flow every week expanding the community and connecting both beginner and experienced dancers while continuing to develop his style. As a coordinator and teacher for the Bay Area Shuffle & Flow club, Keith can be found most weekends dancing at the Discovery Children’s Museum and the Panhandle.

Jasper Sanchez, also known as JasperDances, is currently a full-time dancer, dance instructor and choreographer. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he has enjoyed dancing since before he even knew what the word meant. Jasper has been dancing professionally since 2009. While his focus is breakdancing and shuffling, he enjoys venturing out into other styles to broaden his knowledge and versatility. He was recently featured on America’s Got Talent, Season 16. In 2019, he helped co-start the Bay Area Shuffle & Flow dance meetups. Jasper plans on hosting open classes in the Bay Area to share his passion and knowledge for dance with his community.

Fabiana Santiago, from Crystal Lake, Illinois, began training at the age of four under Judith Svalander. She attended intensives with the Boston Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy (BBA), resulting in a full scholarship to study in Moscow, Russia. Fabiana completed her sophomore year with BBA in Moscow, training with the international training class under the direction of Marina Lionova and performed in the historical Bolshoi Theatre as the lead gypsy in La Fille Mal Gardée and the Spanish Duet from La Cachucha. She was awarded a talent scholarship to attend Butler University in Indianapolis where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance. Upon graduating, Fabiana began her career with Menlowe Ballet in the fall of 2017, where she performed ensemble, soloist and leading roles as well as choreographing for the spring season of 2019. She is currently a freelance dancer throughout the Bay Area working with multiple choreographers such as Alyssa Mitchel, Marika Brussel, Ziru Dance, Em(body) Dance Project, and Oceanica Ballet. Fabiana is also a dance instructor in ballet and contemporary as well as a choreographer for competitions. She teaches at multiple dance schools throughout the Bay Area.

Slideshow~Behind the Scenes
Photography by Kyle Adler

Here. Now.

​Biographies of the Creative Team

Biographies of the Dancers

Biographies of the Creative Team