Who is MPWRD?
Founded on November 19, 2019 MPWRD Artists Collective Initially started off as a dance collective later rebranding in order to accommodate multidisciplinary artists. MPWRD Artists Collective fills a specific niche here in the East Bay Area that most arts organizations do not, which is, a space that prioritizes Black, Brown, and LGBTQI+ artists, creating a space in which these communities can create and incubate work. We not only function as a multidisciplinary arts incubation space but also a space for classes and workshops ranging from dance classes to herbal medicine workshops. Unlike other spaces we are inviting of modernity while also welcoming and centering Indigenous culture at the very heart of our work with many of our directors actively participating in indigenous/folk inspired art and healer/practitioner work.
Our Goal/Mission
MPWRD Collectives mission is to Preserve indigenous/folk culture while also using that knowledge to create innovation in artistic creation and to provide a safe, equitable container where artists can incubate and share their work without the concern of time constraints, or monetary limitations, as well as a space in which artists and practitioners can share with and educate the community.
Administrative Team
Agpalo "Ting" A.J. Alvarez-Maquinta
Artistic Director
A Dance Practitioner, Healer, and Artist, Ting uses their art as a form of visual and oral story telling like ancestors before them have done, and instills a holistic and spiritual approach to all forms of dance. With a long history of involvement in the ancestral arts, as well as fine arts, Ting's goal is to create a safe space for all artists and ancestral practitioners.
Ancestral Lineage: Ilokano, Cebuano/Visayan, Mindanaoan, Nigerian, Congolese/Cameroonian, Southern Chinese, Portuguese
Contact: Agpalo.alongi@mpwrdcollective.org
Samuel Salazar
Interim Executive Director
Born and raised in Inglewood, CA to immigrant parents from what is now known as Mexico, Samuel explores notions of country and belonging through an intersectional lens encompassing gender, sexuality, spirituality, class, and race. Drawing from voices of the past and present, Samuel grounds their work by speaking to and advocating for the child in all of us.
Ancestral Lineage: Veracruz & Jalisco Mexico
Contact:
Noelle Campos
Marketing, Outreach, & Special Projects Manager
Noelle Campos is a mover, creator, and educator, versatile in all genres of dance. She began her Ballet training at the tender age of five, and eventually picked up Jazz, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre, Modern, and Contemporary as the years went by. She attended San Jose State University as a dance major, and has been working as a professional dancer and dance instructor ever since. Noelle aspires to inspire future generations to move their bodies and decolonize their minds
Ancestral Lineage: Filipino
Contact:
Meet Our Kapwa
Katana Pop
Resident Artist(Dance Instructor & Performer)
Katana is a Chicago born dance performance artist, battle dancer, choreographer, and teacher now residing in the Bay Area, CA. She has trained in all different styles of dance in her career, but has mainly focused and is rooted in popping and Egyptian bang style tuts. Since moving to the Bay Area, Katana is also training in/influenced by Turf dancing and culture. Katana has been traveling and competing in battles all across the country for about 9 years, and she wishes to continue her journey internationally.