Beatrice Aronson

I never expected to love UC Berkeley in the way I do. And there are many other things that defied my expectations coming here.

While San Francisco Ballet frequently performs new renditions of old classics, the company transported audiences back to the streets of Renaissance Italy for the opening night “Romeo & Juliet” on April 21 at the War Memorial Opera House. 

English choreographer Christopher Wheeldon continued this tradition of crafting a classic ballet to be timeless with “Cinderella” at the War Memorial Opera House on April 4

Within Oakland’s Fox Theater on March 9, the Australian singer and songwriter built a space of respite from the latest atmospheric river that hit the Bay Area.

Seamlessly weaving movement with sound, poetry and projections, the multimedia experience—a restaging of the 2017 site-specific production by the Lenora Lee Dance Company—follows nine Chinese immigrants through their time at the Angel Island Immigration Station.

Weezer’s 10th EP, SZNZ: Winter, takes listeners on a seven-song journey of despair, sadness and longing.

These songs are reminders of the days I spent in each place trying to immerse myself in new spaces, cultures and languages.

If you’re a fan of Yung Gravy just for the bit, are excited about an eclectic mix of styles, or simply want to blast music and escape with monotonous lyricism, it may be worth a listen or two.

Stromae’s production lifted attendees into another dimension — one where the ordinary is celebrated, tough times are acknowledged and language or cultural differences do not hinder our ability to form a community.

The exhibit reconstructs Davis’ legacy through the lenses of race, gender, economics and policy with works from the Oakland-based Lisbet Tellefsen collection.