Press release
Entre Despierto y Dormido
After a well-received first run in October 2022, Rogelio Lopez & Dancers returns to the Joe Goode Annex for six performances of Entre Despierto y Dormido. “What I know is that when I go to see Rogelio Lopez’s work, I’m in for a wonderful kaleidoscope of moments of joy, multi-dimensional interrogation, and gorgeous movement,” noted dance writer Bhumi B Patel. “What I didn’t expect was that this piece would take me through time and space on a journey of nostalgia, humor, and dreamed futures while keeping me firmly rooted in the realities of living in a queer, body of color in the here and now.”
Foxes, Bunnies, Femme Boys - Oh my! - are the travelers Entre Despierto y Dormido. Fantasies, anxieties, and a floral print merge on a search for an essential essence that has been shamed away. Crafted as a trio, Lopez takes the stage with collaborators Kevin Gaytan and Matt Han to offer one of Lopez’s most ambitious projects to date. Entre Despierto y Dormido (Between Awake and Asleep) is his fifth full length production in the Bay Area.
“This project is an exploration of the things I haven’t been able to do as a choreographer - sexuality, camp, folklorico. There are so many things I feel the need to suppress constantly,” shares Lopez. “I suppress my nationality, immigrant experience, and sexual identity.” He offers, “Everyone has this - things they have put to sleep. This is the platform now for me to share it. I want to re-introduce myself to the community, to be fully present, fully awakened.”
Entre Despierto y Dormido exhibits Rogelio’s multitalented artistry as a choreographer, performer, costume designer, costume constructor, filmmaker, and lighting designer. Audiences will be moved and swept away by the luscious, flowing choreography he is known for as well as brought into another world through color, costumes, props, and filmic elements.
The many layers complete the story and offer a specific lens, but one that Lopez hopes comes into the universal. Camp and drag add humor and vibrancy - from elements of a magic show to striptease, to lip syncing. The movement vocabulary pulls from folklorico, cumbia, modern, and contemporary dance. In particular, Entre Despierto y Dormido showcases folklorico, an expertise Rogelio has cultivated since the beginning of his dance career, and is a form he felt compelled to keep separate from his modern dance community. All design and choreographic components meld to illustrate a dream, ultimately the many layers and facets of Lopez’s personal story. “This is the research - Who am I right now?”
Come take this wild ride at the Joe Goode Annex November 3-12, 2023. Please note that this performance includes mature content including partial nudity and simulation of sexual acts. Write to us with further questions before purchasing your ticket.
WHO: Rogelio Lopez & Dancers
WHAT: Entre Despierto y Dormido, an evening length work exploring suppressed identity and a dream of revealing and sharing a multi-faceted fabulous self
WHEN: November 3, 4, 10, and 11 at 8pm; November 5 and 12 at 2pm
WHERE: Joe Goode Annex, 401 Alabama St, San Francisco, CA 94110
TICKETS: $20 - Community; $30 - General Admission; $50 - Dance Supporter (limited free tickets available). Purchase them through the Joe Goode Annex here.