Eveoke Gets the Whole Town Dancing

By Jeff Britton

So you think you can dance? You may want to think again after you catch the amazing diversity of talent at Celebrate Dance Festival.

Now in its 13th year, the free festival at Casa del Prado in Balboa Park runs Aug. 21-23. Sponsored by Eveoke Dance Theatre in North Park, it features non-stop performances by individual dancers and dance troupes large and small from all over San Diego County.

“It’s a vehicle for access by making the arts free, and it expands the audience base for dance,” explained Eveoke executive director Nikki Dunnan. “We have 70 artists that range from swing, tango, ballet, modern, and folkloric dance — a nice cross-section of San Diego’s dance community.”

Just stroll by Casa del Prado during the weekend and you are bound to come upon a type of dance that appeals to you or the youngsters. From the San Diego Cloggers pounding the floor, to the lithe classical moves of the Chula Vista Ballet, or students from the San Diego School of Ballet demonstrating their pirouettes and fouettes, the festival is a virtual compendium on different ways to move the body.

There are dances that focus on Hispanic culture, such as Grupo de Danza Minerva Tapia, San Diego State’s Ballet Folklorico Fiesta de Colores, Sabor Andaluz and that most sensual of all dances by students from Tango Caminito Dance School.

Also strutting their stuff are students from California Ballet’s Junior Company, Scripps Performing Arts Academy, Mira Costa Community College and Coronado School of the Arts.

Enter the avant-garde hoofers from the Malashock Dance School, Urban Tribal Dance Company and Culture Shock Dance Troupe, and this tapestry of movement begins to take on a unifying theme.

That theme is education and community outreach, something that defines the mission statement of Eveoke: “Cultivating compassionate social action through evocative performance, arts education, and community building since 1994.”

The non-profit moved into a former antique store at 2811 University Ave. in North Park in October 2007 after 13 years at two locations downtown, first at 13th Avenue and F Street, then on Seventh Avenue between G and Market streets. But those locations had their drawbacks, according to Dunnan. They seemed isolated from San Diego’s neighborhoods where most of the students lived, parking was a problem and rents unpredictable in an area where urban renewal prevailed.

She said it was a weird experience trying to find an affordable space, with many realtors showing her old garages and other unsuitable venues. A sympathetic realtor found the present space, which the landlord divided, and it contains a barrel roof and high ceilings similar to what they had downtown.

“We’re very community based and I can walk to work,” Dunnan said. “I think people would feel more sustained if they could walk the neighborhood and go home for lunch.”

Eveoke provides 25 classes weekly at the North Park studio, taught by members of its professional concert company. Through its off-site outreach program in often underprivileged communities, Eveoke reaches more than 3,000 students weekly, with more than half the students receiving tuition assistance. In addition, Eveoke offers an extensive teacher training program and special classes for students with disabilities.

The annual Celebrate Dance Festival was a natural evolution in this educational process, allowing other dance companies to gain exposure to the 15,000 spectators who enjoyed last year’s event. There’s even a gallery in the lobby of the Prado for folks to peruse the various participants, pick up literature and talk to the honchos of each group. They hope that more than one kid will tug on his parent’s sleeve begging for dance lessons.

Due to financial restraints this year there will be no outdoor stage, but volunteers will canvas Balboa Park to entice visitors to rest a while and enjoy a performance or two. For the first nine years the city provided the Prado free of charge, but due to the budget crisis this year Eveoke must come up with permit fees of $8,000. With financial hassles of their own, Eveoke nearly didn’t come up with the funds, so Dunnan is looking for generous angels to help cover costs.

Celebrate Dance has become a San Diego institution and nowhere can you see such a variety of dance styles and idioms under one roof and in succession. The festivities begin Aug. 21 with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by seven performances, the last of which begins at 9 p.m. On Aug. 22 and 23, shows run from 11 a.m. to 9 and 8 p.m., respectively. So come on out and enjoy the music, the motion and the good vibes.

For more information and the complete lineup of dances call (619) 238-1153 or go to www.eveoke.org.