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For more about Ashkenaz's history, check out these links:
David Nadel transformed a warehouse on San Pablo Avenue into a dancehall devoted to presenting international and contemporary roots music and dance. Modeling the interior and exterior of the building after an Eastern European wooden synagogue, he envisioned a place where the world's music and dance would dissolve the differences that keep people apart. David pioneered the presentation of world music long before the genre had a name. For twenty-four years he led Ashkenaz to become a community watering hole presenting music as diverse as Balkan, Cajun, Zydeco, African Highlife, Brazilian Samba, Afrobeat, Calypso, Soca, Blues, Contra Dance, Eastern European Folk Music, Flamenco, Reggae, Salsa, Ska, Soukous, Bluegrass, East & West Coast Swing and more. In 1996 David was murdered by a drunk he refused to let back into the building. It was the one violent act in a dancehall dedicated to peace and nonviolence.
In its 30-year history, Ashkenaz has built an ever-expanding community through multi-cultural, participatory music and dance. In a world increasingly filled with racial and ethnic strife, Ashkenaz creates community by providing a safe place where diverse audiences gather, dancing together to the rhythms of cultures from around the world. Ashkenaz is an all-ages venue, a place where children are always welcome.
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Ashkenaz
was founded in 1973 by David Nadel, a dedicated human rights activist
and folk dancer, in response to the San Francisco Bay Area's strong
interest in international folk dance. David himself had a life changing
experience when he became involved with the Westwind International
Folk Ensemble. He saw that listening and dancing to the music of
other cultures fostered an understanding of different heritages
and he was determined to make this experience available to others.
After
David's death, a group of diverse community members (dancers, musicians,
employees, cultural activists) came together and formed a tax-exempt
nonprofit arts organization to continue the important cultural work
that David Nadel began. With overwhelming community support, the
new nonprofit was able to put a down payment on the building and
has been presenting dance concerts, educational workshops, and fundraisers
six to seven nights a week year-round. The community's strong support
has also made it possible to purchase a state-of-the art sound system,
refurbish the dance floor and make numerous upgrades to the building.
| "I
did not know David Nadel personally. But I do know that we shared
a common experience and belief. Dance changed our lives. He believed,
and I believe, in the transformative power of dance.
The place David created is unique--nowhere else can you dance to such a variety of live music. And no place else has the sense of community that Ashkenaz embodies." -A local dance and music lover |