The 418 Project

Still great in many ways, but the primary revenue tank for the 418 is no longer grassroots. The community is still there, for the most part the same folks, but the internal structure, once oriented around community members doing good for their community, has become money focused. What this means for the financial integrity of the 418, I don’t know, but I’m concerned. It’s lost its horizontal power structure in form and function.
I guess it was romantic of me to think that this place wouldn’t sell out to neoliberalism.

The 418 is a wonderful community space offering wonderful dance classes and Ecstatic Dancing. It builds community! Check it out!

Talk about a Hidden Jewel! The restaurant in the lobby of The 418; India Joze, is famous for it’s Upscale Asian cuisine in a totally casual atmosphere. Don’t underestimate the guy in the hat! That’s Joze, and he’s travelled the world for decades acquiring culinary skills you can only learn by living and working in the countries he represents. They have a constant menu, with many seasonal additions and gourmet whims that Joze cooks up on the spot! Not to be missed.

I’ve been to the 418 Project a few times, for the Santa Cruz Grateful Dead Dances. It is so much fun!!! Basically, on some weekend nights from about 10 – 2 ish, they play a grateful dead show out of their speakers, decorate the studio with beautiful decorations, and people come dance for a small donation! It is an amazing atmosphere, very comfortable. I wish it started a little earlier, and I wish the dances were easier to find out about (when I have tried to call, the place hasn’t answered the phone; sometimes it will be posted on the Santa Cruz Dead Dance facebook page). I plan on going whenever I can, and bringing all my friends!

Heaven on Earth, Saturdays and Sundays = Dance Church. dance in anyway you want with no judgments freestyle dance to great music with awesome speakers. Saturday there is more room to dance. Then afterwards they give announcements of anything related to dance or healing going on in the community. I love this place. There are many dance classes here, African Dance on Sunday Mornings after Dance Church and contact improv dance on wednesday nights. There are shows as well. This place is the gateway to all things fun in regards to dance and joy in the community of Santa Cruz as well as the surrounding areas. :)

Great hub of entertainment! Something for everyone.
There is an unaffiliated café in the storefront, and a large dance studio in the back. The teachers have different prices for their classes, but you can find an eclectic mix of movement there. There are performances and the occasional party/​rave, but I go for the dance classes (Capoeira Regional, Afro-​Brazilian, Haitian, Samba, many West African, and many others). There are percussion classes as well.
There is also a contact jam, and «Dance church» on sundays. DC is not quite my thing (hippies rolling all over each other in humorous ways… but it’s not polite to laugh).
The teachers that teach @ 418 are all the real deal. They are highly skilled artists from the country of the style they teach (no white chicks teaching their interpretation of African dance… but many white students because this is Santa Cruz). The teachers are all sweet and down to earth, and can transform 2 left feet in to something special. It’s a very supportive environment to learn in.
I only take off a star, because I wish that there was an updated online schedule of the dance classes. Some classes are pretty permanent, but sometimes, new teachers get moved around a bit. The only way to know the schedule is to go to the café and check the board, or know the teacher. The only way to know the price is to go to the class and ask the teacher. If it were all online somewhere, they might be able to see more business.

The 418 Project is a pillar of local artistic performance art and dance in Santa Cruz. This is a place dedicated to creating affordable space for artists to explore, discover, and evolve. I highly recommend coming out to see some the many amazing performances that are shown here, taking a class, or coming in to India Joze for some yummy food!

You gotta go to their yearly performance, «What is Erotic?» but leave your judgements at home.

This nonprofit building is a hub of community arts in Santa Cruz.
My favorite class is the Sunday Congolese Dance Class with Vivien and Makaya. They have the BEST drummers and the traditional dancing is amazing. They can teach anyone to dance. This is a very popular class with a lot of dancers each Sunday– it’s so much fun to dance with such a great group of positive lively people. Class is 11:30−1:00
Monday night West African dance class is a lot of fun too!

Its nothing special but its cool, I’ve been to a couple shows here and it was a decent spot, clean, good lighting. what more can you ask for

This is a non-​profit organization which puts on a fun and quirky shows. I recently watched a contemporary dance show here and it was fantastic. It’s a very much of a grassroots theatre with risers and folding chairs to seat patrons for the show. The whole area is essentially a dance studio so there’s no side area where the dancers wait for their cue. They have student and general admission prices. Payment is accepted at the door but you can call in advance to reserve seats. It’s a great location as it is a block from downtown Santa Cruz.