About Dance for Power

Dance for Power is a not-for-profit organization that presents world-class touring attractions in dance, music and theater.  These attractions are artistically diverse in their content, family-oriented and appealing to a broad patron base.

Founded in 1993 by Dr. Elly Pardo, its Executive Director, Dance for Power began as a community arts organization with programs in ethnic dance and music.  Over a period of 10 years, these programs served some 10,000 San Francisco Bay Area students and their families annually through classroom instruction, performing arts events, arts-based study guides, student ‘teach-ins,’ family workshops and artist-teacher training sessions.

In 2000, Dance for Power launched a Multicultural Performing Arts Series for school-age audiences. Through this series, both local and touring companies offered 60-minute student matinees in professional theaters to youth from elementary, middle and high schools.  The events served school populations from nine Bay Area counties as well youth audiences in California’s Central Valley.  These weekday matinees, which had a world arts theme, were supported with online curriculum materials.

While in the Bay Area, Dance for Power also began presenting professional performing arts events for community audiences, and subsequent to a move in 2003 to Stockton, continued offering attractions to patrons in both the Bay Area and Central Valley. A musical series for pre-school audiences was also included in the organization’s Central Valley events.

Companies presented under the aegis of Dance for Power have included: Ailey II, Les Ballet Africains (from Guinea), the National Song and Dance Company of Mozambique, Soweto Gospel Choir, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, Trinity Irish Dance Company, the Peking Acrobats, the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, Chinese Performing Artists of America, American Indian Dance Theater, Estampas Porteñas (from Argentina), Ballet Hispanico, Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Ballet Folklorico de México de Amalia Hernández (from Mexico City), Ballet Folklorico Quetazalli (from Veracruz), Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno, Velocity Circus, Break! the Urban Funk Spectacular, and Likha Pilipino Dance Company—among many others.