Babatunji
Phoenix Paradox
with ODC Dance Jam and SEEDS Teen Companies
Friday, April 9, 2027 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 10, 2027 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, April 11, 2027 at 5:00 PM
World Premiere
Run time: 60 minutes
A visceral and mythic world premiere by one of the Bay Area’s most dynamic choreographic voices, with special performances by ODC’s teen companies, the Dance Jam and SEEDS.
PHOENIX PARADOX, choreographed by Oakland-based dance artist Babatunji, reimagines the myth of the phoenix as a theatrical dance work exploring shadow, contradiction, and collective transformation. Babatunji’s choreography merges the precision of ballet and contemporary technique with the vitality of street dance, forging a movement language that is visceral, architectural, and emotionally charged. Spoken word threads throughout, amplifying the theatricality of the work and blurring boundaries between poetry and dance.
The production conjures a fantastical world of larger-than-life characters—beings who reflect both inner landscapes and the external realities of a place in flux. Design carves the stage into stark monochrome underworlds and bursts of saturated color, echoing Oakland’s blend of upheaval and creative resistance. At once intimate and epic, Phoenix Paradox offers audiences a mythic yet deeply human meditation on resilience—what it costs, what it heals, and how we rise together.
Curator's Note
"PHOENIX PARADOX turns to one of our oldest myths of rebirth and asks what we must burn, and what we must carry through the fire, to be transformed. Babatunji’s movement language and creative approach invites us to consider how following creative impulse and questioning our personal mythologies can be an act of rising in and of itself."
– Zaquia Mahler Salinas, ODC Theater Resident Curator
About the Artists
Babatunji is an Oakland-based dance artist blending ballet, contemporary, breaking, and hip-hop into a distinct movement language. Originally dancing on the streets of Hilo, Hawai’i, he trained at LINES Ballet and later joined the company. He has performed with numerous Bay Area and international companies and created works for Berkeley Ballet Theater, Boston Dance Theater, LINES Ballet Training Program, and SF Danceworks, earning him the Princess Grace Award, Chris Hellman Award, and Gerbode Dance Award. He recently danced opposite Misty Copeland in her film set in Oakland, Flower. Learn more at: @babatunji, @sozoartists.
ODC’s teen contemporary dance company Dance Jam is directed by ODC School Director, Kimi Okada, and Jam Co-Artistic Director Tanya Bello. The Dance Jam was founded in 1996 to offer technical/creative training and performance opportunities to talented and committed young dancers. Dancers are selected by audition. The Jam has a rigorous training program, taking seven classes per week, cross-training in contemporary, ballet, composition/choreography, Pilates, and special classes in multiple styles. Many Jam members go on to have careers in the professional dance world. Learn more about ODC Dance Jam.
Co-directed by Rama Hall, and Jenelle Gaerlan of Embodiment Project, SEEDS offers students the opportunity to delve deep into hip hop dance training and performance. Styles include popping, house, classic hip hop, waacking, and other street genres. With an emphasis on performance quality and originality, this teen company teaches students to freestyle and perform choreography confidently and passionately. SEEDS is structured as a pre-professional teen hip hop/street dance company for SF Bay Area students that pairs movement, Liberatory Storytelling™, and restorative justice to help middle-high school youth express their story through their bodies, lift their voice, and learn vital skills to navigate conflict in community. Learn more about ODC SEEDS.
ODC Theater Presents: 2027 Spring Season
April 9 – May 2, 2027
Explore captivating artistry by acclaimed choreographers at ODC Theater’s 2027 Spring Season, featuring local and national experimental dance artists.
The season is curated by Chloë L. Zimberg, Creative Director of ODC Theater, and Zaquia Mahler Salinas, Resident Curator.
PHOENIX PARADOX is generously supported by SOZO Impact, the Gerbode Foundation, Rainin Foundation, and Zellerbach Family Foundation. A 2025 National Dance Project Award finalist.