Remember the year it poured with rain? Remember Antoine Hunter’s fabulous dancing on the steps of the old San Francisco Mint? Kim Epifano’s colorful improvisation in the Chalkboard alley? Those photos are a part of dance anywhere®s photo exhibit: a small sampling of local San Francisco Bay Area dancers and photographers, selected from the hundreds of photographs from the first ten years of dance anywhere®.

photo exhibit opening   /   photo: Nicole Gervacio

The dance anywhere® and everywhere photo exhibit at ODC  Theater Lobby celebrates 10 years of dance anywhere® and the artists and the thousands of dances created over the years. Beth Fein initiated dance anywhere® in 2005, when she asked: what if the world stopped to dance? The answer has come form from 7 continents, over 65 countries and more than 650 cities. 

Natalie Marsh interviewing guests /  photo: Nicole gervacio

Dancers, students, seniors, artists, business people and dreamers alike step out of their daily routine and unleash their inner dancer in museums, parks, sidewalks, office buildings, schools anywhere their dancing bodies will fit. Every year thousands of people from San Francisco to Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Estonia, and around the world participate.

This new animation was one of the videos on view at the opening:

Artists, administrators, techies, doctors, environmentalists, businessmen and more gathered in the lobby, sharing their passion for movement in all forms. Many of these guests were longterm dance anywhere® enthusiasts, others were compelled to attend by friends, social media, or press. Some didn’t even remember how they ended up in the room-  Enticed by the vivid and active prints, San Franciscans on first dates, neighborhood strolls, and evening commuters stopped in to enjoy a glass of wine and learn about dance anywhere®. By the end of the night these passerby were dancing for our camera, chatting with new friends, and sharing their plans to perform with us. Dance really does build community.

Be sure to check out the dance anywhere® and everywhere photo exhibit at ODC Theater before it goes:

ODC Theater Lobby: 3153 17^th Street, San Francisco, CA.

March 3-29, 2015