For Immediate Release Press Contact: Zahna Simon: zahnasimon@gmail.com Press photos available by request and online at www.urbanjazzdance.weebly.com Urban Jazz Dance, in collaboration with Dance Mission Theater presents The 4th Annual Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival Hosted by Mr Antoine Hunter Aug 12-14, 2016: Fri-Sat 8pm, Sun 4pm (Sunday is a family-friendly matinee) Dance Mission Theater: 3316 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110 Tickets: $30 at door $25 online at brownpapertickets.com $12 Youth (under 16) Babies Free Group Discount (Please Call) (415) 863-9824 For more information, visit www.urbanjazzdance.weebly.com or dancemission.com or call 510-575-9711. (San Francisco, CA) The Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival (BAIDDF) is an annual event produced by Urban Jazz Dance company consisting of performances and workshops that highlight the important contributions that Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) dancers and artists make to our community. We are thrilled to announce that this year the Festival includes Deaf artists from the Bay Area as well as atists that are flying in from London, Turkey, Mexico and Washington DC. There will be a diversity of Sign Languages featured at this year's Festival including Mexican Sign Language (LSM), British Sign Language (BSL) and Turkish Sign Language. Also featured at this year's festival is sound, light and vibration engineering provided by Bobby Cox of Six Second Monks, a local Deaf Art Collective. Deaf Celebrities: CJ Jones, Fred Beam, Antoine Hunter In addition to performances, the Festival also includes several workshops. We are excited to provide workshops in Jazz, Hip-Hop, Ballet, ASL DANCE, and more taught by International, Domestic, and Local Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing artists who all sign fluently. These workshops will be taught for both Youth and Adult participants in various locations throughout the Bay Area. This year there will be workshops in Belly Dance, Improvisation, and Creative Rhythms, plus a special workshop just for youth. Please see full schedule below. Special Event!! Meet the Artists Brunch: Saturday August 13th 10 am-1 pm Come to our special "Meet and the Greet" our local and Guest Deaf Artists plus famous Deaf Artworks by Guy Wonder will be presented for sale. Don't miss this opportunity to catch Q&A with the Artists plus live interviews and a fabulous delicious brunch provided by our Local Bay Area Philip Smith Jr!! Special Admission Price: $5 if you show your Deaf Dance Festival Ticket Workshop Schedule: Wednesday August 9th 6-10 pm Deaf Community Center (DCC) 1550 San Leandro Blvd, San Leandro, CA 94577 6:30-8 pm Deaf Dance Academy from Istanbul, Turkey to present Anatolian Folk Dance and Belly Dance Price: $5 (you are welcome to donate more and no one is turned away due to lack of funds) * Anatolian Folk Dance : This dance is called "halay" in Turkish, belongs to East and Southern East side of Turkey. It is danced hand to hand and symbolizes unity and solidarity. * Belly Dance: It is the esthetichs and rhythmic reflection of waist and hips with the arms to the body. The musics of the dance consist of Egypt and Turkish melodies. It mostly addresses to women participants. 8-10 pm Sign Dance Collective from London, United Kingdom to present Improvisation: Price: $5 (you are welcome to donate more and no one is turned away due to lack of funds) * Improvisation: We have developed a way of improvising in dance which is very accessible. It really can be for everyone...there is some contact involved but mainly it is about responding to impulse and variation in using space and how the performer works in relation to the space and each other in an improvisation. We also pay a lot of attention to the use of the spine and the expression of the whole body. If there is space for wheelchair users we can include everyone. Saturday August 13th 3:30-5 pm Dance Mission Theater 3316 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110 CJ Jones of Los Angeles, CA to present Creative Rhythms: Price: $5 (you are welcome to donate more and no one is turned away due to lack of funds) * Ceative rhythm game: Demonstrate cajon drum Hands on cajon drum Create beat rhythm through cajon drum Create ensemble body language beat based on creative rhythm Special Ensemble performance in the evening Sunday August 14th, 12-2 pm Dance Mission Theater 3316 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110 Antoine Hunter to teach Youth Workshops! Youth of all ages welcome! Suggested Donation: $5 No one is turned away for lack of funds!