Freedom House musical performance explores social issues in Oakland

By Lauren Kawana | September 21, 2012 |
At at a dress rehearsal at Eastside Cultural Center on Wednesday September 19, dNaga dancers perform Freedom House: Dancing in the Flatlands. Photo by Vanessa Rancaño.

Freedom House: Dancing in the Flatlands is a new performance work by Claudine Naganuma. The piece will be shown three times at East Oakland’s EastSide Cultural Center this weekend, starting with an 8 p.m. performance Friday night. Naganuma is the director of Danspace, a dance studio in Rockridge, and the founder of the dance company dNaga, which will be performing the piece.

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Turf dancing workshop teaches Oakland dance culture, individual style

By Shirley Lau | March 17, 2011 |
Turf dancing

Turfing was born in Oakland in the early ‘90s, but it wasn’t until a 2009 YouTube video called “Dancing in the Rain,” produced by YAK Films, that turf dancing started receiving national attention. To bring turfing back to the local level, and to encourage local dancers of all skill levels to start, the Eastside Arts Alliance’s Oakland Hip Hop Institute is offering a six-session workshop.

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