Ruth Botchan Dance

Ruth Botchan Dance Modern Dance in the ErickHawkins tradition. Teaches efficient use of our natural structure by develo

Ruth Botchan is the artistic director of The Ruth Botchan Dance Company, this year celebrating its 30th anniversary of making dances in the Bay Area. The company has performed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. They were invited to perform in Poland, at the White Stork Synagogue in Wroclaw, and the International Dance Festival in Ladek Zroj, and in January, 2010 the company performed at the Er

ick Hawkins Centennial Symposium at the 92nd Street Y in New York. Since 1997 the company has been performing at their beautiful studio, Western Sky, in the heart of West Berkeley’s art and artisan district, where Ruth also hosts other choreographers in concerts as a founding member of Terrain, a Dance and Performance Collective, and at Dance-a-Rama, a yearly celebration of National Dance Week. Ruth Botchan studied with Martha Graham and with Erick Hawkins, and taught at the Erick Hawkins School in New York. She is director of Berkeley Moving Arts where she teaches modern dance classes and private sessions in the Pilates method. See www.berkeleymovingarts.com for more information about these classes, and other classes offered at Berkeley Moving Arts. (The dance) “fused beauty, fate and synchronicity in a simple satisfying shape… Botchan seemed to find movement that unfurled with opalescent lightness.”
--The Oakland Tribune

We're gearing up to perform at Dance-a-Rama, 2026, the 27th annual DAR in celebration of Bay Area Dance Week. This wond...
03/17/2026

We're gearing up to perform at Dance-a-Rama, 2026, the 27th annual DAR in celebration of Bay Area Dance Week. This wonderful event is FREE, and will take place at my studio, Western Sky in Berkeley, on Sunday, May 3 at 1 and 4 pm. Two showings of the same show featuring dances by a diverse and multi-generational group: Ann Swigart, Avilee Goodwin, Carol Kueffer-Moore, Claudine Naganuma and dNaga Dance Co., Jetta Martin, Mary Reid and Sabah Ensemble as well as my company, Ruth Botchan Dance Co. My wonderful company of dancers will be performing In A Dark Wood. Here are some pictures that Aileen Kim took during a recent rehearsal.
from left Tamsin Nutter, Aileen Goodwin, Jetta Martin Lisa Bush-Finn, Betsy Strome.

Here are some photos of my daughter Rachel with the wonderful actors of The Resident Acting Company (including Austin Pe...
10/15/2025

Here are some photos of my daughter Rachel with the wonderful actors of The Resident Acting Company (including Austin Pendleton) currently playing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Sheen Center in New York. If you’ll be in NYC this month, treat yourself to an evening with these marvelous Shakespearean actors in an intruiging production of Shakespeare’s play. https://www.racnyc.org

09/30/2025

Modern dance classes at Berkeley Moving Arts are getting going for the fall. Fall is such a beautiful time in the studio, and a great time to get back to your dance practice. These classes in the Erick Hawkins approach to dance technique, are the perfect way to ease your body back to dancing. Wonderful for older dancers, those returning to dance after an injury or a break from dancing (no matter how long), or anybody who wants to use their body in a healthy way for strength, ease, breath, joy, and graceful movement. Tuesday evenings 7:30-9, Friday mornings 10:30-12.

Berkeley Moving Arts offers classes in modern dance, Pilates, tai chi & belly dance in the East Bay area. Beginner to advanced adult lessons offered.

Dance-a-Rama is coming up in a month- on May 4, two showings of the same program at 1 and 4p.m. Experience the best of ...
04/06/2025

Dance-a-Rama is coming up in a month- on May 4, two showings of the same program at 1 and 4p.m.
Experience the best of Bay Area dance in an exciting program featuring:
7 fascinating dances by
7 talented choreographers

It's FREE as always, with Bay Area Dance Week!

Don't wait - reserve now at: www.bopsidy.com/bop/TerrainDanceCollective

We'd love to see you there!

We're excited to be planning for the 26th Annual Dance-a-Rama on May 4 at Western Sky in Berkeley. This year there will ...
03/17/2025

We're excited to be planning for the 26th Annual Dance-a-Rama on May 4 at Western Sky in Berkeley. This year there will be two showings, at 1pm and 4pm, and as always for Bay Area Dance Week, admission is FREE! My company will perform Invention, our newest dance. Pictured below from l to r are Aileen Kim, Betsy Strome, Tamsin Nutter, Avilee Goodwin and Lisa Bush-Finn.

12/02/2024
05/08/2024

Dance-a-Rama last Sunday was a wonderful event. The dancers and choreographers appreciated having the opportunity to share their work and perform together, and the audience loved the variety and beauty of the dances. The studio was filled to overflowing, and our only regret is finally having to turn some people away. Next year we will do two shows!

I just accidentally came across this lovely photo from 2015. It is from “Slow Movement”, the dance to the second movemen...
04/28/2024

I just accidentally came across this lovely photo from 2015. It is from “Slow Movement”, the dance to the second movement of Bach’s Italian Concerto, inspired by my mother, a pianist, who played this piece all my life, including when she was very old, moving slowly, but still able to sit at the piano. The dancers in the photo are Betsy Strome, Laura Marlin and Jetta Martin. On Sunday, May 5 at Dance-a-Rama, it will be danced by Betsy with Aileen Kim and Avilee Goodwin. The entire group, including Lisa Bush-Finn and Tamsin Nutter, will be dancing the joyful first movement, “Now”.See the flyer below for a list of all the wonderful choreographers presenting works on the program. Hope to see you there.

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We're gearing up for the show, and hoping you can be there!
04/08/2024

We're gearing up for the show, and hoping you can be there!

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2525 8th Street, # 13A
Berkeley, CA
94710

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