FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Shannon Atlas*
> *
> Shannon_atlas@mac.com*
> * (415)
> 203-4363*
> * *
>
> * *
>
> *ODC THEATER PRESENTS ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE JACINTA VLACH/LIBERATION DANCE
> THEATER’S*
>
> *ANIMAL FARM*
>
> * APRIL 25-26, 2009*
>
> * *
>
> * *
>
> (San Francisco, CA – March 23, 2009) ODC Theater presents *Jacinta Vlach *
> in *Animal Farm*: a special one-weekend show, *Saturday, April 25 and
> Sunday, April 26, ODC Dance Commons. *Ms Vlach is the* *artistic director
> and founder of Liberation Dance Theater (LDT), a dance-theater collective
> rooted in ideologies of social change through artistic expression and
> community outreach. She joined the ODC Theater Artist-in-Residence program
> this year.
>
>
>
> An excerpt of* Animal Farm* was originally presented as a work-in-progress
> at the *Living Word Festival 2008*. The now completed piece will be
> presented at ODC Dance Commons as a full-length production. Inspired by
> George Orwell's classic 20th century novel of the same title, *Animal Farm
> * explores the infrastructure of contemporary politics and propaganda.
> Exploring images 
of revolutionary poster art as a background and evocative
> visual narrative, choreographer/director Jacinta Vlach parallels the
> Orwellian vision of how a utopian society is made impossible by the
> corrupting nature of the very power necessary to create it. Using various
> dance forms including Step, Dancehall, and Modern, *Animal Farm* brings
> together an eclectic fusion of fine art and working-class sensibilities. At
> its essence, *Animal Farm* poses the question: 
Is it possible to maintain
> one's intrinsic values while rising to power?
>
>
>
> *SF Weekly* says “Choreographer Jacinta Vlach dives head first into the
> ever thorny topics of race, culture and identity. . . and jettisons the
> neutral ground of conventional dance for more provocative terrain.”
>
>
> Tickets for the *Jacinta Vlach/Liberation Dance Theater (LDT) *performance
> * *are priced at $18 General/ $15 Seniors/Students/Children 12 & Under. To
> order tickets by phone, please call 415-863-9834 or visit
> www.odctheater.org. For more information about Jacinta Vlach/Liberation
> Dance Theater visit www.liberationdancetheater.com**
>
> * *
>
> *ABOUT JACINTA VLACH*
>
> Native San Franciscan, Jacinta Vlach is the Artistic Director and Founder
> of Liberation Dance Theater (LDT), a San Francisco based dance-theater
> collective rooted in ideologies of social change through artistic expression
> and community outreach. Ms. Vlach was inspired to dance professionally while
> training with Reginald Ray-Savage and furthered her studies at North
> Carolina School of the Arts and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center
> (Certificate of Dance Alumni). While in New York she danced in works choreographed
> by Earl Mosely, Reginald Yates, Sean Curran, Max Luna III, and Alvin Ailey.
> Ms. Vlach has toured and performed with Nathan Trice/ Rituals, Robert Moses'
> Kin Dance Company, and Philadanco. During her stay at Philadanco, Vlach had
> the pleasure of working with Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Geoffrey Holder, Ronald
> K. Brown, Deborah Chase, Otis Sallid, and others. As artistic director of
> LDT, she has presented work throughout San Francisco, Chicago, and New York
> including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum (Identity Shifts/ Bay Area
> Response), Chicago Center for the Performing Arts (Association of
> Multi-Ethnic Americans Conference), Harlem Stage, NYC (E-Moves 9), and The
> Living Word Festival, SF.
>
>
>
> This summer *LDT will premiere a full program at the Doris Duke Theatre,
> Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival for an exclusive engagement.* Jacinta Vlach
> is the recipient of a Theater Bay Area Cash Grant, a Zellerbach Family
> Foundation Grant, a Puffin Foundation Grant, the San Francisco Arts
> Commission's Arts and Communities: Exploration Grant, and was recently
> named *Resident Artist of San Francisco's ODC Theater.* In addition to
> performance and choreography, she remains loyal to her passion of community
> activism and youth empowerment through arts education.**
> * *
> *ABOUT JACINTA VLACH/LIBERATION DANCE THEATER (LDT)*
>
> Founded in 2007, Jacinta Vlach/ Liberation Dance Theater (LDT) strives to
> explore contemporary social issues and bring them to life through dance,
> theater, and dialogue. Race relations, gender inequalities, cultural
> differences, and marginalized communities are the core subjects of LDT's
> work. Drawing upon movement from Modern, Latin/ African Diaspora, and Urban
> Vernacular, LDT aspires to create a strong voice and new aesthetic for dance
> artists. Through collaboration and individual narratives LDT brings personal
> stories to the stage in an attempt to spread awareness and healing to
> diverse peoples.
>
> *CALENDAR EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE:*
>
> *Jacinta Vlach/Liberation Dance Theater (LDT) presents Animal Farm** at
> ODC Theater*
>
> * *
>
> *When:* Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, August 26, 8 pm
>
>
>
> *Where: ODC Dance Commons*
>
> * *351 Shotwell Street
>
> San Francisco**
>
> * * **
> *Tickets: *$18 General/ $15 Seniors/Students/Children 12 &
> Under
>
> *Available by calling ODC Theater box office: (415) 863-9834 or online at
> www.odctheater.org <http://www.ybca.org/>*
> * *
> *For more information about Jacinta Vlach/Liberation Dance Theater, visit
> the company’s Web site at *http://www.liberationdancetheater.com
>
> *Editors please note: Photos, dancer bios and b-roll are available by
> contacting Shannon Atlas, 415-203-4363 or e-mail Shannon_atlas@mac.com*
> * *
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