Wanda's Picks Special: Tania Santiago, choreographer, Aguas Dance Company

TANIA SANTIAGO, the Artistic Director of Aguas Dance Company in "Movendo com Capoeira" Friday-Sat., Feb. 14-15 at 8 p.m. and Sun., Feb 16 at 7 p.m. Born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, Tania Santiago grew up in the heart of African Brazil. In Brazil she has taught, danced, and choreographed for many well-known companies including Olodum, an arts group famous for its Carnaval parade performances and credited with developing the music style known as samba reggae. While her specialties are folkloric and contemporary Afro-Brazilian dance, Santiago is also conversant in jazz, ballet, West African, Afro-Cuban and modern dance forms. Santiago has resided in California since 1997, and has taught packed classes regularly at ODC School & Rhythm and Motion Dance Program since 2005. In 2001, Santiago received a three-year grant from the California Arts Council to teach young people throughout the San Francisco Unified School District. In addition, Santiago performs with her own company Aguas (formerly known as Aguas da Bahia), the Ramon Alayo Dance Company, and Deep Waters Dance Company. Santiago's choreography has also been performed by many local groups including Loco Bloco, Axe Abada, Kuumba, Quimbanda Grupo Carnavalesco, and Abada Capoeira. Each year in San Francisco, Santiago teaches a performance workshop in the Bahian Carnaval tradition. The workshop culminates in the annual Carnaval parade in May. Santiago also leads annual dance intensives in Salvador, Bahia as part of her cross-cultural work. 

Aguas Dance Company presents:  "Movendo com Capoeira"

Friday, Feb 14 at 8 p.m. 

Saturday, Feb 15 at 8 p.m. (sold out)

Sunday, Feb 16 at 7 p.m.

Tickets available at: http://www.odcdance.org or by calling the ODC Box Office at (415) 863-9834

Online: $23. At the Door: $27

Please join us at the beautiful ODC Theater for Tania Santiago's latest installment of "Movendo com Capoeira," a piece that intertwines Capoeira, Brazil's most enduring cultural symbol, with the spiritual family of the African Diaspora in Brazil, the Orixas, to tell a deeper story of these cultural gifts that have been curated by her community in Brazil for almost two centuries.

Aguas will also be presenting a *brand new* piece that pays tribute to Bob Marley and the reggae music for which he made famous around the world. Reggae has rooted itself in Salvador, Bahia over the years as it has been a voice for the oppressed and represents freedom, happiness and community to the people of Bahia.

Tickets available on line for $23 and at the door for $27 @ http://www.odcdance.org (415) 863-9834.

Music: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down -- from We the Common (title track for Valerie Bolden), "Kindness Be Conceived," "Human Heart"; Gina Breedlove's "Sea" from Language of Light; Larry Douglas -- from Dedications: "Illusions," "Jammin'" at "'Boro." We close with WolfHawkJaguar's "Exu Exit."

Link to show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/02/15/wandas-picks-special-tania-santiagos-aguas-dance-company-1

Thao dedicates the title track to Valerie Bolden, who at the time of the recording had been down for 17 years with Life without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP). This is what Thao says about her: https://www.facebook.com/thaoandthegetdownstaydown/posts/10152563517562619