Conversation with Keith Hennessy about Improvisation, Curiosity, Performance, and Politics

Welcome to act/re/act podcast, where we explore improvisation through conversations with remarkable artists.

In this episode I talk with Keith Hennessy, a dance artist who I have admired since I first saw him perform with Contraband, a seminal dance company from San Francisco, in the mid-1990s when I was working at Dance Place in Washington, DC. Keith is someone I’ve always seen as a visionary, provocateur, and really thoughtful and visceral artist. It’s really great to have him on the podcast.

Here's a bit about Keith: 

Keith Hennessy, MFA, PhD,  is a dancer, writer, choreographer, witch, and teacher. Raised in Canada, living in Ramaytush Ohlone territory (San Francisco) since 1982, he tours widely. Using improvisation, ritual, collaboration, and protest, Keith instigates queer embodied experiences that respond to political crises and heartbreak. Hennessy directs Circo Zero, co-founded the performance/culture spaces 848 and CounterPulse, and was a member of Sara Mann’s Contraband, 1985-1994. Awards include Guggenheim, NY Bessie, USArtist, and a few Bay Area Isadora Duncan Awards.

You can find out more about Keith Hennessy here: http://circozero.org/

You can find my website here: https://www.danielburkholder.com/

Enjoy this conversation, please subscribe, and stay tuned for many more this season!

Take care, be well, and live spontaneously!