Dance Brigade’s vision is to create a world in which art is recognized as a powerful tool for social change and justice, and where marginalized communities have access to opportunities for artistic expression and cultural preservation. 2025 will be a yearlong tribute to the past while continuing to nurture the seeds of artistic expression for future generations.

From the Wallflower Order to Dance Brigade

Dance Brigade is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its inception as the Wallflower Order Dance Collective with an exciting season of performances and events to commemorate this historic milestone. 1975 was the birth of the Wallflower Order, a ground-breaking dance company in the 1970’s called an ‘American Treasure’ by the Kansas City Star and included in dance critic, author, and choreographer Deborah Jowitt’s book ‘Time and the Dancing Image’.

Dance Brigade members include Lena Gatchalian, Bianca S. Mendoza-Prado, Deb’e Taylor, dominique hargrove, Frances Sedayao, Fredrika Keefer, Johanna Gormley, Kimberly B Valmore, KJ Dahlaw, Megan Lowe, Sarah Bush, Sierra Tiatia, Vivian Dai.

Original member Krissy Keefer has carried on the legacy of provocative, feminist dance producing cutting-edge productions that explore the intersection between art and social justice with Dance Brigade, a performing dance company; Grrrl Brigade, a youth empowerment dance program; and Dance Mission, a dance center in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission district supporting underrepresented, emerging, and established artists in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Leading the way for the last 50 years under the leadership of Ms. Keefer, Dance Brigade and Dance Mission have both stood for and stayed at the forefront of cultural advocacy and progress, uplifting the voices of marginalized artists, and setting a new tone that is morphing the future into a world of peace, justice, and equity.

 

“It has been a long and storied career, with multiple ups and downs, exhilarating performances, and economic chaos and uncertainty. We are hoping, like the rest of you, to move into a new era of peace and justice where the arts play a pivotal role in the future of humanity,” – Krissy Keefer