Tastes Like Bitterness, Moves Like Love

Celebrating its 24th year of dance making in the Bay Area, dNaga Dance Co., directed and choreographed by Claudine Naganuma, presents Tastes Like Bitterness, Moves Like Love, at the Dresher Ensemble Studio in West Oakland, July 10-12th, 2025.

Join us for an exclusive performance of dNaga Dance Co., providing a unique pairing of dance, bites, and beverages. Driven by a longstanding collaborative team, and celebrating its 24th year, Tastes Like Bitterness, Moves Like Love offers a powerful and restorative evening. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks to match the exploration of grief, fury, grace, and love will be included in the price of admission.

Included in the evening is a suite of dances from Unbound, which premiered at the Mondavi Center in October 2024 and was commissioned by the Anti-Asian Violence: Origins and Trajectories Research Initiative (AAVOT). Tastes Like Bitterness, Moves Like Love is supported by individual donations and the generous support of Musical Traditions. dNaga Dance Co. is fiscally sponsored by Dancers’ Group.

“Hard times require furious dancing” – Alice Walker.

Photo by Robbie Sweeny; Dancer: Raychel Hatch

CAST & COLLABORATORS

Conceived and Directed by Claudine Naganuma

Choreography by Claudine Naganuma and dNaga Dance Co.

Musical Director and Composer: Joel Davel

Lighting and Technical Direction: Dale MacDonald

Video and Animation: Elmira Bagherzadeh

Dancers: Lihong Chan, Mana Hayakowa, Catalina Jackson-Uruena, Erin Landers, Leila Massoudi, and Gabby Wei.

ABOUT dNaga Dance Co.

dNaga Dance Co. started in 2001 and is rooted in creativity and community building. Through dance, their mission is to explore that which challenges us and to uplift our commonalities in order to inspire compassion and hope. dNaga is licensed to offer the Dance for PD® program in Oakland and founded the GIRL Project at EastSide Cultural Center. dNaga’s community programs are driven by the cultivation of creativity and connection. By cultivating creative thinking, we are directly affecting our ability to build new pathways to problem-solving. We can help to heal trauma, interrupt systemic oppression, and use art as a tool to liberate ourselves and our communities. dNaga is in residence at Danspace and its company members live in California and New York. dNaga Dance Co. is fiscally sponsored by Dancers’ Group based in San Francisco.

Location: Dresher Ensemble Studio, 2201 Poplar Street Oakland, CA United States