SERVICE
Keith Hennessy is a frolicker, imperfectionist, and witch working in the fields of dance, performance, affordable housing, waterdancing, resistance to tyranny, and gay sexuality. Raised on Atikameksheng Anishnawbek lands in Canada, and living on Ramaytush Ohlone lands (San Francisco) since 1982, Keith tours internationally. His work is interdisciplinary and experimental, motivated by anti-racist, queer-feminist, and anarchist movements. He engages in practices of improvisation, ritual, collaboration, and play to respond to political crises. With a focus on the politics of relationships, Keith has negotiated shared power and creativity with Ishmael Houston-Jones, Sarah Crowell, Meg Stuart, Brontez Purnell, Snowflake Calvert, jose e. abad, Gerald Casel, Faustin Linyekula, Jassem Hindi, Peaches, and many others.
Keith directs Circo Zero, co-founded the dance/culture spaces 848 and CounterPulse, and was a member of Sara Mann’s Contraband. His work has been presented at Ponderosa (Stolzenhagen), ImPulsTanz – Vienna International Dance Festival, NYLA (New York), Black Box Teater (Oslo), YBCA (San Francisco), HZT (Berlin), SNDO (Amsterdam), Arsenic (Lausanne), Hollins University, Cornell University (Ithaca), mumok – Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, New Museum (New York), SFMOMA (San Francisco), CounterPulse (San Francisco), and contact improv festivals in many countries. He earned both an MFA and PhD from UC Davis.
2025
