BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CiviCRM//NONSGML CiviEvent iCal//EN X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Los_Angeles METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260509T170000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:CiviCRM_EventID_2067_77e9141aa4f30fbd8996c107d4f91b74@rootdivision.org SUMMARY:2nd Saturday May 2026 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

MAIN GALLERY

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PUSH Dance Company

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Join us for an evenin g of live performance featuring the award-winning San Francisco-based PUSH Dance Company. Experience contemporary movement rooted in Black dance tradi tions including original choreography in dialogue with Trina Michelle Robinson’s solo exhibition ~~Open Your Eyes to W ater.~~

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N ova Power

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Choreography by Raissa Simpson

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Performed by Jeremy Br ooks\, Ethan Dennis\, and Erik K Raymond Lee

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Stardust (work-in-progress)

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Choreography by Ashley Ga yle

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Per formed by Ashley Gayle

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Performances will st art at 6:15pm

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~~PUSH Dance Co mpany~~ is an awar d-winning multidisciplinary dance company and educ ation institution rooted in the creative technolog ical pulse of San Francisco. Founded in 2005 and l ed by Artistic Director Raissa Simpson\, PUSH cham pions contemporary dance\, preserves Black dance t raditions\, and operates as both a cultural instit ution and an artists sanctuary. The company has gr aced over 70 stages across the United States — fro m Ailey Citigroup Theater and Joyce SoHo in New Yo rk City to the Los Angeles Theater Center\, Aspen Fringe Festival\, Ferst Center in Atlanta\, Links Hall in Chicago\, Dance St. Louis and beyond — bri nging bold\, boundary-pushing work to audiences na tionwide.

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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
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\n ~~Raissa Simpson~~ is a postdisciplinary artist kno wn for bold\, boundary-pushing choreography that c enters the complex experiences of racialized bodie s at the intersection of race\, culture\, and iden tity. She holds a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MF A from UC Davis\, where she developed a rigorous a rtistic practice bridging scholarship and performa nce. She had an extensive career with the Bay Area ’s most distinct choreographers\, Robert Moses’ Ki n and Joanna Haigood's Zaccho Dance Theatre. In 20 05\, Simpson founded award-winning PUSH Dance Comp any in San Francisco — now a cultural institution and artist sanctuary recognized with residencies a t Montalvo Arts Center and Margaret Jenkins' CHIME \, and supported by the California Arts Council\, Zellerbach Family Foundation\, San Francisco Arts Commission\, Kenneth Rainin Foundation\, Wattis Fo undation\, and Grants for the Arts. A scholar as m uch as an artist\, Simpson is the author of the bo ok chapter\, Writings On Dance: Artistic Reframing for Celestial Black Bodies for Palgrave Macmillan and currently lectures in Theater & Performance S tudies department at Stanford University.
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ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
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\n Ashley Gayle (she/her) is a performing artist\, choreog rapher\, and credentialed dance educator native to the Bay Area. She holds a BFA in Dance Performanc e with a minor in Business Management from UC Irvi ne\, and has performed nationally with a range of Bay Area companies spanning Modern\, Contemporary\ , Jazz\, Hip-Hop\, and Afro-Cuban forms. Her commi tment to dance as a community practice has driven teaching residencies across the Bay Area\, engagin g youth through adults in vibrant\, accessible cla sses — work that led to her current position as a youth dance educator with Oakland Unified School D istrict. As Co-Director of Visceral Roots Dance Co mpany\, she choreographs intergenerational works r ooted in social justice\, responding to the ever-s hifting cultural landscape of the Bay Area. Gayle joined PUSH Dance Company in 2014 as an apprentice and has steadily grown into one of its most essen tial voices — serving as Rehearsal Director before being named Associate Artistic Director in 2022. Her decade-long relationship with PUSH has profoun dly shaped her artistry\, performance values\, and creative vision.
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COMPANY A RTISTS\n \n

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Jeremy Brooks is a multidisciplinary artist from Deep East Oakland. He is a company me mber of PUSH Dance Company based in San Francisco\ , and has notable collaborations with the San Fran cisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO)\, 5th Qua rter Bantaba\, Visceral Roots Dance Company\, and Dance A Vision. As an artist\, Jeremy is interest ed in using all his talents to tell stories that b ring awareness\, healing\, and joy to his communit ies.
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~~Ethan Dennis~~ (he/him) is a Louisiana-b orn\, but Bay Area-based performer\, choreographer and arts educator. He minored in dance at the Uni versity of Louisiana-Monroe in 2017 and was certif ied in Umfundalai\, a pan-african Caribbean dance technique in 2021. Most recently\, he passionately explores dance through performance\, films\, and voguing in the Oakland ballroom scene.

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Erik K. Raymond Lee (he/him) is from Oakland\, CA. He received formal dance training from UC Berkeley\, BA in Dance & Performance Studies (2010) and MFA i n dance from Mills College (2017). Erik is a dance lecturer at UC Berkeley\, Residency Manager of Za ccho Dance Theatre’s Artist in Residence programs and Director of PUSH & Zaccho’s HART program. As a dancer artist\, Erik currently works with Dimensi ons Dance Theater\, PUSH Dance Company and Zaccho Dance Theatre.

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FRANK-RATCHYE PROJECT SPACE

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B Colleen: They Stem and They Bloom

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Organized b y Kristina Singleton

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Exhibition Dates: May 9\, 2026 - June 6\, 20 26

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The Frank Ratchye Project Space is pleased to pres ent They Stem and They Blo om\, a solo exhibition by Root Division Studio Artist B Colleen.

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Gro wing outwards from their hands\, eyes\, and mouth\ , lavender becomes a symbol of healing energy- a g esture that begins as a way to heal from within an d extends as an offering to others. What grows wit h the artist is not kept but shared. In this exhib ition\, artist B Colleen moves between an equally vivid dream state and coexisting reality where lav ender stems and blooms as a constant source of cal m.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

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\n B Colleen is a multidisciplinary Mexican-America n artist whose practice is a meditative search for being and belonging\, a ritual rooted in gratitud e and mindfulness. Their work spans painting\, scu lpture\, and installation\, using color abstractio n and motifs to depict daydreams that act as space s for both escape and reflection. Based in Oakland \, California\, they hold a Bachelor’s degree in S tudio Art from San Francisco State University and have exhibited work throughout the Bay Area.

DESCRIPTION:MAIN GALLERY \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PUSH Dance C ompany\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join us for an even ing of live performance featuring the award-winnin g San Francisco-based PUSH Dance Company. Experien ce contemporary movement rooted in Black dance tra ditions including original choreography in dialogu e with Trina Michelle Robinson’s solo exhibition O pen Your Eyes to Water. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n N ova Power\n \n \n \n Choreography by Raissa Simpso n\n \n \n \n Performed by Jeremy Brooks\, Ethan De nnis\, and Erik K Raymond Lee\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Stardust (work-in-progress)\n \n \n \n Choreog raphy by Ashley Gayle\n \n \n \n Performed by Ashl ey Gayle\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Performances will start at 6:15pm\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PUSH Danc e Company is an award-winning multidisciplinary da nce company and education institution rooted in th e creative technological pulse of San Francisco. F ounded in 2005 and led by Artistic Director Raissa Simpson\, PUSH champions contemporary dance\, pre serves Black dance traditions\, and operates as bo th a cultural institution and an artists sanctuary . The company has graced over 70 stages across the United States — from Ailey Citigroup Theater and Joyce SoHo in New York City to the Los Angeles The ater Center\, Aspen Fringe Festival\, Ferst Center in Atlanta\, Links Hall in Chicago\, Dance St. Lo uis and beyond — bringing bold\, boundary-pushing work to audiences nationwide.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ARTISTIC DIRECTOR\n \n \n \n \n \n Raissa Simp son is a postdisciplinary artist known for bold\, boundary-pushing choreography that centers the com plex experiences of racialized bodies at the inter section of race\, culture\, and identity. She hold s a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from UC Davi s\, where she developed a rigorous artistic practi ce bridging scholarship and performance. She had a n extensive career with the Bay Area’s most distin ct choreographers\, Robert Moses’ Kin and Joanna H aigood's Zaccho Dance Theatre. In 2005\, Simpson f ounded award-winning PUSH Dance Company in San Fra ncisco — now a cultural institution and artist san ctuary recognized with residencies at Montalvo Art s Center and Margaret Jenkins' CHIME\, and support ed by the California Arts Council\, Zellerbach Fam ily Foundation\, San Francisco Arts Commission\, K enneth Rainin Foundation\, Wattis Foundation\, and Grants for the Arts. A scholar as much as an arti st\, Simpson is the author of the book chapter\, W ritings On Dance: Artistic Reframing for Celestial Black Bodies for Palgrave Macmillan and currently lectures in Theater & Performance Studies departm ent at Stanford University.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \ n ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR\n \n \n \n \n \n Ash ley Gayle (she/her) is a performing artist\, chore ographer\, and credentialed dance educator native to the Bay Area. She holds a BFA in Dance Performa nce with a minor in Business Management from UC Ir vine\, and has performed nationally with a range o f Bay Area companies spanning Modern\, Contemporar y\, Jazz\, Hip-Hop\, and Afro-Cuban forms. Her com mitment to dance as a community practice has drive n teaching residencies across the Bay Area\, engag ing youth through adults in vibrant\, accessible c lasses — work that led to her current position as a youth dance educator with Oakland Unified School District. As Co-Director of Visceral Roots Dance Company\, she choreographs intergenerational works rooted in social justice\, responding to the ever -shifting cultural landscape of the Bay Area. Gayl e joined PUSH Dance Company in 2014 as an apprenti ce and has steadily grown into one of its most ess ential voices — serving as Rehearsal Director befo re being named Associate Artistic Director in 2022 . Her decade-long relationship with PUSH has profo undly shaped her artistry\, performance values\, a nd creative vision.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n COMPAN Y ARTISTS\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jeremy Brooks is a multidisciplinary artist from Deep East Oakland . He is a company member of PUSH Dance Company bas ed in San Francisco\, and has notable collaboratio ns with the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO)\, 5th Quarter Bantaba\, Visceral Roots Dance Company\, and Dance A Vision. As an artist\ , Jeremy is interested in using all his talents to tell stories that bring awareness\, healing\, and joy to his communities.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n E than Dennis (he/him) is a Louisiana-born\, but Bay Area-based performer\, choreographer and arts edu cator. He minored in dance at the University of Lo uisiana-Monroe in 2017 and was certified in Umfund alai\, a pan-african Caribbean dance technique in 2021. Most recently\, he passionately explores dan ce through performance\, films\, and voguing in th e Oakland ballroom scene.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Erik K. Raymond Lee (he/him) is from Oakland\, CA. He received formal dance training from UC Berkele y\, BA in Dance & Performance Studies (2010) and M FA in dance from Mills College (2017). Erik is a d ance lecturer at UC Berkeley\, Residency Manager o f Zaccho Dance Theatre’s Artist in Residence progr ams and Director of PUSH & Zaccho’s HART program. As a dancer artist\, Erik currently works with Dim ensions Dance Theater\, PUSH Dance Company and Zac cho Dance Theatre.\n \n \n \n ____________________ __________________________________________________ __\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n FRANK-RATCHYE PROJECT S PACE \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n B Colleen: They Stem and They Bloom\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Organized by Kristina Singleton\n \n \n \n Exhibition Dates: May 9\, 2026 - June 6\, 2026\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Frank Ratchye Project Space is pleased t o present They Stem and They Bloom\, a solo exhibi tion by Root Division Studio Artist B Colleen. \n \n \n \n Growing outwards from their hands\, eyes\ , and mouth\, lavender becomes a symbol of healing energy- a gesture that begins as a way to heal fr om within and extends as an offering to others. Wh at grows with the artist is not kept but shared. I n this exhibition\, artist B Colleen moves between an equally vivid dream state and coexisting reali ty where lavender stems and blooms as a constant s ource of calm.\n \n \n \n ABOUT THE ARTIST\n \n \n \n \n \n B Colleen is a multidisciplinary Mexican -American artist whose practice is a meditative se arch for being and belonging\, a ritual rooted in gratitude and mindfulness. Their work spans painti ng\, sculpture\, and installation\, using color ab straction and motifs to depict daydreams that act as spaces for both escape and reflection. Based in Oakland\, California\, they hold a Bachelor’s deg ree in Studio Art from San Francisco State Univers ity and have exhibited work throughout the Bay Are a.\n \n CATEGORIES:Exhibition CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260509T170000 DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260509T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260509T190000 LOCATION:1131 Mission Street\n Gallery\n San Francisco\, CA 94103\n United States\n URL:https://rootdivision.org/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=2067 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR