Presidio Dance Theatre

08/24/2024

Bay Area Friends, I hope that you'll join the Presidio Dance Theatre and I as we salute our Artistic Advisor, Lily E. Samii! We only have 20 tickets remaining for "An Evening Celebrating Lily Samii" de Young Museum on September 12.

Many thanks to Tony Bravo and the San Francisco Chronicle for highlighting our event! Check out the article: https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/event/art-exhibits/an-evening-celebrating-lily-samii-a-tribute-to-a-fashion-icon

Don't miss this fabulous evening of fashion! For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-celebrating-lily-samii-tickets-991446251427.

We hope to see you soon! Lily Samii

News, reviews, and event information for ‘An Evening Celebrating Lily Samii: A Tribute to a Fashion Icon’ at de Young Museum on Sep 12, 2024, on Datebook from the The San Francisco Chronicle.

08/22/2024

Join us in celebrating our Artistic Advisor, Lily E. Samii!
Only 20 tickets remaining, don't miss this fabulous evening of fashion! Lily SamiiSherene Melania Bretschneider
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-celebrating-lily-samii-tickets-991446251427?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-source=cp&fbclid=IwY2xjawE0o0hleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHezWpjuhETLjnNttjkpyanzHEFqUspwekLCtzTQufCoO04SxqoARjhh8qQ_aem_yWHzc1kkolN05dJk2gNDSg&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing

Join the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation and Gala Co-Chairs, Mary Poland and Sherene Melania, as we celebrate our Artistic Advisor!

11/21/2023

11/19/2023

Ever wonder how "justice through dance" came to be? Check out this article highlighting our Director's, Sherene Melania Bretschneider's work.

Sherene Melania with artists of Presidio Dance Theatre, at the world premiere of “Unbreakable” at the Herbst Theatre, San Francisco. Photo: Vin Eiamvuthikorn. Sherene Melania has found a way to overcome boundaries in a world divided. We face division daily – both physically and culturally. To ...

11/19/2023

A great profile piece about our Director, Sherene Melania Bretschneider!

Entertainment How Sherene Melania is Empowering Women Through the Art of Dance November 14, 2023 By Jaye Wells Share FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp Storytelling can transcend language; and in the realm of performing arts, emotions know no boundaries. This sphere is enhanced by passion-driven indiv...

11/17/2023

Thanks to the The San Francisco Standard for capturing our program at !

Check out The San Francisco Standard's video.

11/15/2023

Fantastic article about our director, Sherene Melania Bretschneider! If you've ever wondered about PDT's philosophy, it's a must read...

Entertainment How Sherene Melania is Empowering Women Through the Art of Dance November 14, 2023 By Jaye Wells Share FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp Storytelling can transcend language; and in the realm of performing arts, emotions know no boundaries. This sphere is enhanced by passion-driven indiv...

11/15/2023

05/23/2023

Thanks to everyone for making our 25th Anniversary Gala a success! We are proud to have premiered Sherene Melania Bretschneider’s Unbreakable, honoring the women of Iran. We thank our beautiful dancers for bringing this important story to life.

This production would not have been possible without our incredible production team: our inimitable Artistic Advisor, Lily Samii; Rehearsal Director, Hanna Persky; Production Manager, Sophie Grewell; Wardrobe Mistress, Irma Moreno.

We are tremendously grateful to our gala co-chairs, Farah Makras & Sonya Molodetskaya, and dinner committee: Dena Aslanian-Williams, Jaleh Etemad, Maryam Ghassemzadeh, Lisa Mirza Grotts, and Fariba Zolnasr for making our soirée a success.

Special thanks to Lily Rezaie and Persian Orchid Catering for the scrumptious dinner; Narsai & Venus David for generously donating the wine; Jaleh Etemad for allowing us to feature her “Tears of Iran” painting; Mark Sullivan our fabulous auctioneer; Maryam Ghassamzadeh and CopyNet for graciously providing our printed materials; Simon Michael Aslanpour and Blooming Bouquet for the beautiful flowers; Karo Sargizzadeh for donating Sherene Melania’s costume in support of the cause; our media sponsor, Haute Living and Teresa Rodriguez, Drew Altizer for the photos, which are available for viewing/purchase here, https://drewaltizer.com/event/21220-presidio-dance-theater-25th-anniversary-herbst-theatre/? #

In line with our mission of justice through dance, the event proceeds benefit our educational programs and the Center for Human Rights in Iran. If you were unable to attend but would like to support our work and help us bring this important piece to new audiences, joining the fight for freedom in Iran, please click here https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QARV9WS7DZTWW

04/29/2023

Thank you to James Ambroff-Tahan and the Nob Hill Gazette for the fantastic coverage!

https://www.nobhillgazette.com/the_current/arts_and_culture/presidio-dance-theatre-translates-iranian-women-s-stories-into-dance/article_fc2c2b60-cfdc-11ed-9bcc-73e580b81498.html

04/26/2023

Thank you to Editor-in-Chief Teresa Rodriguez and Haute Living for the wonderful feature!

Former DANCEOUT! students were highlighted in Haute Living. We're so proud to witness the benefits of providing students with multi-year full-scholarships in the arts.

04/14/2023

On May 18, 2023, we will host our 25th Anniversary Gala Celebration: Honoring the Women of Iran. If you haven’t yet, please save the date and purchase tickets! The performance will be held at 5pm at the Herbst Theatre, followed by a gala dinner in the Green Room at 7pm. The evening will feature our signature pieces as well as a world premiere in honor of the women of Iran.

To buy tickets for the performance and gala, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/presidio-performing-arts-foundations-25th-anniversary-celebration-tickets-605152205537

To buy tickets for the performance only, please visit https://www.cityboxoffice.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=2916

We hope that you’ll join us in celebration of 25 years of justice through dance, but more importantly, join us in supporting the fight for freedom!

03/22/2023

Thank you to everyone for making Children's Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House: A Norouz Celebration a success! We were thrilled to welcome 6,200 Bay Area students and celebrate Norouz together this past Monday at the Sf War Memorial Opera House. The celebration would have not been possible without our generous supporters and colleagues. Special thank you to Blooming Bouquet Florist, Simon Aslanpour, for the beautiful haft-seen, Lily Samii our artistic advisor, Jaleh Etemad for her beautiful art piece, and to our community partners Nemenzo Te Fare & Alma De Mexico. Many thanks to Ahsha Safai and Chuck Collins for welcoming the children! Thank you also to Tyler Tang and Stefan Cohen for capturing this special day. Shout-out to Bay Area Dance School, it is always such a pleasure to collaborate with you. And finally thank you to Sophie, Hanna Persky, and Sherene Melania Bretschneider for making this all possible!

https://www.sfcv.org/articles/music-news/nowruz-spelled-many-ways-celebrated-around-world #

03/16/2023

Thanks San Francisco Examiner for this fabulous article about our upcoming event and the significance of Norouz! Sherene Melania Bretschneider

The Presidio Dance Theatre is celebrating Persian New Year for the first time -- next week.

03/16/2023

Huge thanks to San Francisco Chronicle for selecting our show as a Datebook pick: Sherene Melania Bretschneider

Presidio Dance Theatre’s annual children’s offering is poised to return to live in-person performance for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. And this year, the programming is timed to…

01/28/2023

I’m very pleased to announce Presidio Performing Arts Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Season. A time to reflect on our past, present and future (PPAF). There is much to celebrate, but also much work to be done! In line with our mission of promoting justice through dance, we are dedicating our Spring Season to the women of Iran. Like many of you, I have watched the current horrifically surreal events evolve, with a mix of hope and sorrow. As an Iranian American, this is deeply personal to me, but the egregious violations of basic human rights under the Islamic Regime, are a crime against humanity, affecting us all. Dating back to ancient Persia, Iran boasts one of the world's richest art and cultural heritages. We are proud to create programming that will generate awareness and actively engage communities by exposing audiences to the beauty of Iranian culture, providing educational community panels, and partnering with humanitarian organizations, providing direct aid to the people of Iran. Omar Khayyam once wrote, “justice is the soul of the universe,” and what better way to feed the soul than through dance? I hope that you’ll join us in celebration of 25 years of justice through dance, but more importantly join us in supporting the fight for freedom this season!

Sherene Melania
Executive & Artistic Director

3/20/23: Children’s Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House: A Nourouz Celebration!
5/18/23: 25th Anniv. Gala Celebration: Honoring the Women of Iran. Herbst Theatre & Green Room


Sherene Melania Bretschneider

12/26/2022

Merry Christmas and huge thanks to everyone who attended our Holiday Tea! Happy holidays from our to yours. Wishing you all a most fabulous 2023! May it be filled with peace, joy, and the gift of dance!🎄☃️🎅🕎❤️

11/30/2022

This Giving Tuesday is also Miss Sherene Melania Bretschneider's 40th Birthday! Help us celebrate this milestone by raising $40,000 in support of our DANCEOUT! program. We’re very pleased to inform you that your gift will have double the impact today, as we have a donor who will match gifts up to $20,000. Please help us reach our goal, honoring Miss Sherene’s commitment to justice through dance!

Link to Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ME2ADC8TUFMQY

Help us continue uniting communities through dance It's Giving Tuesday... Spread the Love! This Giving Tuesday is also Miss Sherene’s 40th Birthday! Help us celebrate this milestone by raising $40,000

09/10/2022

Grazie Mille to Consul General Strozzi for honoring PDT and our director, , the Assisi Sister City Committee, the Knights of St. Francis and Roots of Peace for the goodwill that was exchanged between San Franciso, Rome and Assisi over the summer. From our performances, to jointly planting an olive tree and inaugurating a fresco restoration in Assisi, the bonds of friendship forged between our cities made a lasting impression. We’re so proud of all of our young artists and families for representing SF. Viva Italia!🇮🇹💃🏻🇺🇸❤️

08/05/2022

Many thanks to Catherine Bigelow and the Nob Hill Gazette for covering our gala!

Article Link: https://nobhillgazette.com/parties-parties-party-en-pointe/

07/29/2022

Presidio Dance Theatre is now open for fall registration! For inquiries and further information, please email [email protected].

07/29/2022

Huge thanks to Haute Living Haute Living San Francisco and Teresa Rodriguez for the amazing gala coverage!!

06/20/2022

On June 15, the started the day with a short rehearsal and then headed on the bus to the Vatican! We were lucky enough to walk through and learn the history of the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel, and St.Peter's Basilica accompanied by our wonderful tour guides giving us details of every room we saw! The Vatican City is a state ruled by the Pope, currently Pope Francis. The city, also known as the Holy See, dates back to early christianity and is the principal of the Catholic church. Within the Vatican are many religious sites, such as the Sistine Chapel, St.Peter’s Basilica, and the Vatican Museums. So grateful to have the opportunity to see buildings and art pieces with such deep history!

-

-

-

-
❤️

06/03/2022

Huge thanks to everyone who attended our spring season gala! We are so grateful for all of your continued support. We now begin our countdown for ! 🙏🏻❤️