About
Dance Mission Theater Youth Programs offer dance instruction, dance theater, and performance opportunities for young people. Participants can take dance classes in styles such as Afro-Cuban, salsa, samba, hip hop, house, and others, and can be involved in festivals including CubaCaribe, ManiFestival for Social Change, and D.I.R.T. (Dance In Revolting Times). The programs also connect youth to multi-company, issue-centered productions like Women Against War and to events such as the Choreographers Showcase.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
Dance Mission Theater Youth Programs are part of a women-led, artist-driven, multi-cultural, and multi-generational community that includes women and queer-identified artists, artists of color, and culturally-specific dance ensembles. The organization provides educational programs for youth and adults, artist mentorship and development, and affordable facility rentals, and serves over 400 children per semester through a comprehensive, affordable dance instruction program that offers a number of scholarships to local families. Grrrl Brigade, a female empowerment and leadership program for girls ages 9–18, is a cohort-based education program that integrates intensive dance instruction, leadership development, feminist self- and collective-empowerment, and professional opportunities through paid internships and choreographic showcases.
Dance Mission connects and empowers diverse Bay Area communities and artists through all aspects of dance and dance theater, including the production of new works, instruction, and performance, as an artist-driven, feminist organization dedicated to building community, addressing social justice issues, exploring cultural identities, promoting inclusivity, and creating a more peaceful world through collective action. Dance Brigade was founded in 1984, has operated Dance Mission Theater since 1998, and established Grrrl Brigade in 2004. The leadership team includes Artistic and Executive Director Krissy Keefer; Managing Director Stella Adelman; Youth Program Director Bianca Mendoza; Grrrl Brigade Director and Studio Rentals lead Fredrika Keefer; Adult Program Manager Samad Guerra; Director of Special Projects Sarah Crowell; and Finance Director Karen Elliot. Dance Mission is described as a vital community anchorpoint in the local artistic ecosystem, supporting historically marginalized communities with accessible space for dance and performance and engaging in arts advocacy and neighborhood organizing efforts.
Last updated March 11, 2026.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
Dance Mission Theater Youth Programs are part of a women-led, artist-driven, multi-cultural, and multi-generational community that includes women and queer-identified artists, artists of color, and culturally-specific dance ensembles. The organization provides educational programs for youth and adults, artist mentorship and development, and affordable facility rentals, and serves over 400 children per semester through a comprehensive, affordable dance instruction program that offers a number of scholarships to local families. Grrrl Brigade, a female empowerment and leadership program for girls ages 9–18, is a cohort-based education program that integrates intensive dance instruction, leadership development, feminist self- and collective-empowerment, and professional opportunities through paid internships and choreographic showcases.
Dance Mission connects and empowers diverse Bay Area communities and artists through all aspects of dance and dance theater, including the production of new works, instruction, and performance, as an artist-driven, feminist organization dedicated to building community, addressing social justice issues, exploring cultural identities, promoting inclusivity, and creating a more peaceful world through collective action. Dance Brigade was founded in 1984, has operated Dance Mission Theater since 1998, and established Grrrl Brigade in 2004. The leadership team includes Artistic and Executive Director Krissy Keefer; Managing Director Stella Adelman; Youth Program Director Bianca Mendoza; Grrrl Brigade Director and Studio Rentals lead Fredrika Keefer; Adult Program Manager Samad Guerra; Director of Special Projects Sarah Crowell; and Finance Director Karen Elliot. Dance Mission is described as a vital community anchorpoint in the local artistic ecosystem, supporting historically marginalized communities with accessible space for dance and performance and engaging in arts advocacy and neighborhood organizing efforts.
Last updated March 11, 2026.
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