Editor’s note: Christine Joy Ferrer, Eyes Opened founder and editor, is also co-founder of the Bela Alma Dance Collective. For more information, visit belaalmadance.com.
The night of UniverSoul, a cross-cultural benefit showcase for the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, was the night that reminded me that I have wings to fly. I also learned that I somewhat have MCee skills haha (and hosting, organizing, performing, and choreographing for your own event, especially your first event, is no joke). Thank you to all the Bela Alma supporters, collaborators, performing artists, friends, family, donators who made our first Bela Alma Dance Collective event happen and to all those who attended. Thank you to Desiree, for stage managing and lighting and for the little things I couldn’t remember. To also to my partner, Jarrel “Chumbinho” Phillips for holding it down while I was trying to hold everything else. To my sis, Jamie Magpoc and Nicole Terzic for feeding hungry tummies, and Needa for making the food, Merli for running the door, Love Speak for being my wing woman, Teao Sense for his DJ offerings, Princess Bustos for being the SF Taskforce Haiyan connection and also by you just being a fierce Pinay Activista, Dom and Jives for the setup/takedown and technical things. It was a beautiful, spectacular cross-cultural experience of dance, circus arts, capoeira, Kulingtang music and dance, poetry, music and more.
We raised about $1,300 to give to the relief efforts in the Philippines in support of NAFCON USA (Taskforce Haiyan). A little over 100 people filled the Sons of Cayuga wearhouse, when our limit had only been 60. A special thank you to: Audiopharmacy, Sons of Cayuga SF Taskforce Haiyan, LV Dance Collective, Pinay Mujer and Friends, Shelly Lamb, Stephanie Hyland, Dachelle Burke, Aryn Shelandar, Zac Diener, Veronica Blair, Teri Wing, Gemiah Kurzfeld, Amanda “Ahsia” Delvis, Andrea “Poco” Delvis, Luis Lopez for video, Matt Moy, Sheeree Dela Pena for photography, Capoeira Ijexa, Mestre Urubu Malandro, Chloe “Marvel Light” Axelrod, Bboy Blakk, Cloud 9 Tribe of All Tribes Zulu Nation, and to all the other performers and volunteers who help setup and cleanup, who I may have missed. I’m so inspired once again. Let’s continue to connect, collaborate, and create because we are all beautiful souls. Photos will be up soon. If you would still like to donate to directly to Philippine relief efforts, please visit, nafconusa.org.
UniverSoul Performance Playlist
Event Information:
EVENT TICKETS CLOSED
Bela Alma Dance Collective Presents UniverSoul
Saturday, January 11, 2014
8 PM – 11 PM
Suggested donation $10-$30/person sliding scale
60 person capacity, standing room only. Advanced tickets highly encouraged. A limited amount of tickets will be sold at the door.
Doors open at 7:30 PM. Performances start at 8 PM.
Proceeds and donations from this event will be gifted to Operation Air Drop and NAFCON USA. Learn More About Their Relief Efforts…
Location
Suns of Cayuga (A circus-acrobatics wearhouse/training space)
915 Cayuga Avenue at Ocean Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
Street Parking Available. Lot space is for residents only.
Public Transportation: Balboa BART Station, 29, K, J, 49, 14, 8x, 54
UniverSoul is a (informal/intimate) cross-cultural benefit show for the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan. Featuring a collective of San Francisco Bay Performing Artists.
Hosted by the Bela Alma Dance Collective (Christine Joy Ferrer and Desiree Dela Pena), in collaboration with Sons of Cayuga, Audio Pharmacy and Taskforce Haiyan. Sponsored by Startistic Expressions.
Another world is possible if we can connect with one another, collaborate and create; cross cultures, cross boundaries and cross social differences. We hope that through this event, we’ll be able to build community with one another, educate others about what’s going on in the Philippines after the Typhoon Haiyan and provide a way for folks to help by creating a beautiful cross-cultural arts experience. We stand in solidarity with the Haiyan survivors and all those doing their part to support relief efforts.
Featuring
Pole Dance Shelly Lamb
Circus Arts Chloe “Marvel Light” Axelrod
Roots and Wings (Ahsia and Poco)
LV Dance Collective (Kao Vey Saephanh and Martha L. Zepeda)
Cloud 9 Tribe of All Tribes SF Zulu Nation
BBoy Blakk of Renegade Rockers
Bela Alma Dance Collective
Capoeira Ijexa
Aerial Arts (Gemiah)
Partner Acrobatics (Aryn Shelander and Zac Diener)
Live Music Audio Pharmacy
Spoken Word – Pinay Mujer and Friends (kulintang music and dance), Jazz Hudson
And More…
Bboys vs. Capoeiristas Battle
Live Art by Nicole Terzic
DJ Teao Sense of Audio Pharmacy
Hors d’oeuvres. Libations. Entertainment.
Bela Alma Dance Collective is a project of Startistic Expressions. Please spread the word about UniverSoul. If you can’t make it, you can also donate directly to Operation Air Drop and/or to NAFCON USA. If you don’t have the funds, no worries, just share this link with your contacts and re-post it to your social media. You can also volunteer to be a part of Taskforce Haiyan.
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