FutureArtsNow! and Kooltura Marketing present ..
The Imagine SJ Showcase #9 Dance

Dance is a universal language that cuts across nations and ethnicities. San José iis home to a vibrant ethnic dance scene that continues to grow and cross-pollinate.

In the next installment of ImagineSJ we will take a look at the challenges and opportunities for dancers in San José. The moderator for this panel discussion will be internationally acclaimed rapper Demone Carter.

On Thursday, July 14, 2016 from 7PM - 8:30PM, acclaimed rapper and arts advocate Demone Carter and a diverse panel of speakers will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing local dancers with specific emphasis on dance groups rooted in cultural and folkloric traditions.

The ImagineSJ Showcase is a monthly event series that provides a platform for San Jose’s newest most innovative thinking, whether it be in the arts, technology, nonprofit or small business. Through performances, presentations, and interactive audience engagement activities, the ImagineSJ Showcase will create a public platform for the introduction of new ideas and great thinking that San Jose needs to know about.

With the demise of the San Jose Repertory Theater and recently San Jose Ballet, the dance scene comes to question as to how this specific art form can find stability within the current arts climate within Silicon Valley. What many may not realize is that a big reflection of San José’s cultural make-up can be seen in the number of cultural dance groups that do thrive within their immediate communities and through cross-cultural/genre collaborations. To touch on this topic through conversation and performance, ImagineSJ has invited representatives from Future Arts Now! (Hip-Hop Dance), San José Nuevo Flamenco, Grupo Folklórico Los Laureles (Mexican Folklóric), Sangam Arts (Classical Indian Dance), Akoma Arts (Afro-Brazilian Dance), and Hālau Nāpuaokamokihanaoha (Hula).

Also highlighted in the the topic of discussion is the choice of venue chosen to host this event. If dance disciplines struggle, we can only imagine the parallels that dance studios experience in San José. In support of the dance scene, the ImagineSJ Dance Showcase will be taking the floor at one of the newest additions to Japantown, The Get Down, which describes the dance studio space as “a place to get up, get loose, get funky and most importantly, get down!”

The ImagineSJ Showcase is sponsored by The Knight Foundation and The School of Arts and Culture at MHP. The ImagineSJ Showcase is also an #iPledgeSJ event.

Performers:

FutureArtsNow! (Hip Hop Dance)
San Jose Nuevo Flamenco
Grupo Folklorico Los Laureles (Mexican Folkloric)
Sangam Arts (Classical Indian Dance)
Akoma Arts (Afro-Brazilian)
Hālau Nāpuaokamokihanaoha (Hula)