DAVID HERRERA PERFORMANCE COMPANY
Celebrating 15 years of innovative, thought-provoking dance;
Promoting Latinx Voices via modern American Movement
2007 -2022
OUR TEAM
Photo: Randy Basso
David Herrera
Artistic Director/Choreographer
David Herrera is a choreographer, producer, and community leader in San Francisco, California. He grew up in Hollywood, CA influenced by his culturally diverse neighborhood and his Mexican and American heritages. He advocates to provide Latinx/BIPOC artists performance opportunities while challenging non-equitable practices in the modern dance field. David holds B.A.s in American Studies and Theater Arts, and a graduate certificate in Theater/Dance from U.C. Santa Cruz. In 2007, he launched David Herrera Performance Company as a response to the lack of Latinx visibility and representation in the U.S. modern dance field.
David is a recipient of the National Latino Arts & Culture Leadership Fellowship and Hope Mohr Dance’s Community Engagement Residency (2019/20) amongst various grants and residencies. He serves as advisor to the Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers, is an Isadora Duncan Awards committee member, and core member of “Dancing Around Race”, a community program dedicated to the discussion and implementation of cultural equity in the dance sector in San Francisco led by Gerald Casel. David has also mentored homeless individuals through the Community Housing Partnership in San Francisco. He has served in multiple grant and opportunity panels.
David has been commissioned by Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, ODC Theater, Asian Art Museum (S.F.), U.C. Santa Cruz, FWD.US, Novato School for the Arts, Williams Sonoma, and Push Dance Company.
Niara Hardister
Programs Director
Niara Hardister is a dancer, arts administrator, and event producer from Riverside, California. In 2018, she graduated from Cornell University with a major in Hotel Administration and a minor in Dance. During college, she trained with Jumay Chu, Byron Suber, Nic Ceynowa, and Tucker Davis. She also founded the Cornell Dancers' Alliance, worked as a teaching assistant at Ithaca College, and interned with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and Battery Dance Company.
Currently, Niara is based in San Francisco. She is an Operations Manager and Event Producer at Foxtail Catering and Events. Niara is also a company member of PUSH Dance Company, the LV Dance Collective, and Printz Dance Project, and a founding member of The Collective SF.
Andréa Spearman
Administrative Assistant
Bay Area native, Andréa Spearman is an administrator, choreographer, performer, teacher, and student of a variety of modern-based movement with over 20 years of experience. Her company, A. Spearman & Co. is a contemporary fusion dance company where all artists are trained in various fields of art including ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, cultural dance, photography, live vocals, poetry, acting, directing, production, and more.
Currently she produces and hosts, The Black Landscape podcast, a series of conversations with SF Bay Area Black leaders discussing their personal histories and community building in various industries.
