A Bridge to Now / Un Puente hacia el Presente

Asian Improv aRts and API Cultural Center Present the U.S. Premiere of

A multimedia experience by the award-winning Lenora Lee Dance in collaboration with Moyra Silva Rodríguez

A Bridge to Now / Un Puente hacia el Presente is a multimedia dance collaboration between U.S. and Peruvian dancers expanding perspectives on immigration in the Americas by looking at the legacies of racialized labor exploitation and anti-immigrant sentiment in both countries. Through dance, video, archival images, and interviews with the descendants of Chinese indentured servants in Peru and the U.S., this 50-minute piece honors the struggles and lasting cultural contributions of Chinese immigrants to Peruvian and U.S. societies, uplifting the perseverance of these communities made up of multiracial descendants today.

Three performances only!

Friday, March 28, 2025 at 8pm

Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 8pm

Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 3pm

Performances will begin on time, please arrive early.

Dance Mission Theater

3316 24th Street (between Mission & Valencia), San Francisco, CA 94110

Box Office:

For more information: , call (415) 913-8725, or email [email protected]

VIDEO TEASER:  

Conceived, Produced & Directed by Lenora Lee (San Francisco), Moyra Silva Rodríguez (Lima / London)

Choreography: Lenora Lee & Moyra Silva Rodríguez in collaboration with Dance Collaborators: José Avilés (Lima), Peter Cheng (New York City), Lynn Huang, SanSan Kwan, Johnny Huy Nguyễn, and Catalina O’Connor (San Francisco)

Recorded music directed by Francis Wong & Tatsu Aoki

Media Design & Editing: Lenora Lee & Moyra Silva Rodríguez

Light Design: Harry Rubeck

Interviewee Voiceover: Moyra Silva Rodríguez, Evelyn Hu-DeHart, Lok Siu, Maria del Pilar Rodriguez Wong, Xuan Gan, Evelyn Kcomt Whu, Cecilia Maria Kcomt, Julia Wong Kcomt, Diana Li, Yukon Choy, John Choy, Jorge Black Tam, Sun Cok, Marco Loo, Angie Chang.

Photos by Robbie Sweeny

ABOUT LENORA LEE DANCE

For the last 17 years Lenora Lee Dance (LLD) has pushed the envelope of intimate and large-scale multimedia, immersive dance performance connecting various styles of movement/dance, film, text, research and music to culture, history, and human rights issues. LLD’s works are set in both public and private spaces, inspired by individual stories as well as community strength. From the proscenium, to even underwater, the company’s pieces are site-responsive and immersive calling audiences into deep engagement with the work and environment. Through partnerships, LLD’s work has grown to encompass the creation, presentation and screening of films, museum and gallery installations, civic engagement, and educational programming signifying the power of art as a movement for change. www.LenoraLeeDance.com, IG: @LenoraLeeDance

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Lenora Lee (co-artistic director of the project) The company is directed by San Francisco native Lenora Lee, who has been a dancer, choreographer and artistic director for the past 26 years. She has been an Artist Fellow at the deYoung Museum, a Djerassi Resident Artist, a Visiting Scholar at New York University 2012-2016, an Artist in Residence at Dance Mission Theater, a 2019 United States Artists Fellow, an Artist in Residence at Dance Mission, Pao Arts Center, ArtsEmerson, and Bunker Hill Community College.

Moyra Cecilia Silva Rodríguez (co-artistic director of the project, choreographer, dancer) from Lima, Peru, holds a Master’s in Dance Anthropology and a Bachelor's in Communication Science and Arts. Her Chinese-Peruvian heritage influences her exploration of art and identity, blending academic research with movement and visual arts. Awarded by the 2023 Economic Stimulus for Cultural and Arts Industries, Instituto Cultural Peruano Norte-Americano, Festival Artes Escenicas Lima, the German Federal Foreign Office, and Goethe-Institut, she is an Erasmus Mundus scholar (2020-2022) and collaborates with Lenora Lee Dance on Chinatown and Chinese-Peruvian projects. www.moyrasilva.com / @moyra_silva

ADDITIONAL COLLABORATORS

The 2025 U.S Premiere of “A Bridge to Now” is supported in part by Asian Improv aRts, Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, California Arts Council, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and by Generous Individuals. The 2024 World Premiere of “A Bridge to Now” / “Un Puente hacia el Presente” in Lima, Peru was awarded the 2023 Culture Stimulus in Peru, and was supported in part by Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, and Mid Atlantic Arts through USArtists International, a program in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Trust for Mutual Understanding.

Host or Publisher Lenora Lee Dance