Liberation Academy – Dance Mission Theater

SEPTEMBER 2023 - FEBRUARY 2024

LIBERATION ACADEMY 2.0

ABOUT THE LIBERATION ACADEMY

Directed and curated by Sarah Crowell, Kara Mack and Bongo Sidibe

Dance Faculty: Rennie Harris, Susana Arenas Pedroso, Adia Whitaker, Kanukai Chigamba, Antwan Davis, Alhassane Da Camara

Design Faculty: Stephanie Anne Johnson, Chi Chi Okonmah

Meet The Liberation Academy Team

The Liberation Academy was conceived to restore the intellectual scholarship, spiritual wisdom and creative richness which resides historically in Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color collective oral and underground traditions. The pilot Liberation Academy – or Liberation Academy 1.0 – was held January – June 2022 (read about it here).

August 26, 2023 – February 3, 2024: Liberation Academy 2.0 is a FREE series of workshops and intensive training to uplift BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) dancers and additional mentorship for dance makers of Afro-descent dedicated to freedom. It includes an intensive dance training and mentorship experience for Dance Makers of Afro-descent, a free series of workshops to uplift BIPOC dancers, and select free workshops open to all dancers.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Liberation Academy 2.0 offers three tracks:

Liberation Academy Intensive for Dance Makers of Afro-Descent: A free INTENSIVE EXPERIENCE open to dance artists of Afro-descent to give tools and a platform to create and produce powerful performance work (The intensive experience is by AUDITION ONLY. See below for more info and to sign up for the audition).
Dance Master Classes for BIPOC dancers: A free series of in-person MASTER DANCE CLASSES and online workshops open to all BIPOC movers, taught by Black dancers/choreographers. (Sign-ups coming soon!)
OTA Workshops: A free series of select WORKSHOPS OPEN TO EVERYONE, in-person workshop and an online offering for anyone interested in participating. (Sign-ups coming soon!)

The Liberation Academy sessions are free. Different workshops are open to either everyone, artists who identify as BIPOC, or dancers of Afro-descent (please see the designation in the description). Liberation Academy events (other than the Liberation Academy Intensive) can be attended on a drop-in basis.

SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE

JOIN THE INTENSIVE

AUDITION: SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 @ DANCE MISSION THEATER

Please note that Liberation Academy Intensive members must be of Afro-descent and must be able to commit to the entire series. To participate, you must attend an audition. To sign up for the audition, please submit the application form and prepare one minute of movement.

Liberation Academy Intensive for Dance Makers of Afro-Descent includes:

In-person dance master classes with African and African American dancers/choreographers
In-person and online workshops with African and African American designers (lights, sound and stage management)
Online African and African American dance history classes
Rehearsal space and mentorship to create dance works
Platform for performing dance works

WHAT IS THE COMMITMENT?

The Liberation Academy organizers understand that removing the obstacles to our freedom requires discipline and commitment. Therefore, in order to take part in the LIBERATION ACADEMY INTENSIVE for dance makers of Afro-descent, participants must commit to attending ALL Liberation Academy in-person and online classes, workshops, choreography showings and showcases.

APPLY NOW

INTENTION

In these critical times we will use our critical theories to rescue ourselves as critically vital to our healing, survival and skill building towards Liberation. We choose to intersect all the siloed knowledge-based projects (ethnic studies/ feminism/ gender/ housing/ medicine) based in resistance movements begun in the 20th Century and revive them as critical (vital and necessary) collaborations. Yes WE WILL BE CRITICAL – as in critical to each other’s freedom, well-being and survival.

THE LIBERATION ACADEMY…

asserts that Black and other artists/creatives of color exist as architects of wisdom and world building
reclaims the idea of scholarship and wisdom
dismantles the idea that if it’s not written down, it’s not real
seeks to decolonize ideas and bodies
uplifts Black and other artists of color across time as crucial to social justice movements
sees dance as a metaphor for navigating the world
sees rhythm and movement as a metaphor for coming into synch with one another

Questions? Please email Sarah Crowell at sarahcrowell65@gmail.com.

The Liberation Academy is made possible by support from the SF Arts Commission and Dream Keepers Initiative.

Learn about the Pilot Liberation Academy (held Jan-June 2022)