Akashapushpa
Finnish performance artist Akashapushpa is an ordained member of Western Buddhist Order who uses environment-based rituals including three-dimensional media to express her aspiration. Performance/ art/ life/ religion is a sincere play and ritual, a poem, a dance, a short tune, break between lines and a study. It is creating an endless sculpture and a painting made to an act, a death of the old self moment by moment.

Francisco Herrera
Guitar-playing storyteller Francisco Javier Herrera, member of AFM local 1000, produces cultural work as a musician and performer in collaboration with unions, immigrant rights, faith-based and community organizations throughout the continent. He has participated in organizing drives in California, sung in picket lines on both coasts of the U.S., sung and organized support in refugee camps in El Salvador, and conferences in Latin America and the United States. He is the father of two children, Alma (12) and Martín (6) and his wife, Betty Pazmiño is a bilingual teacher at César Chávez Elementary School in San Francisco.

Russell Reza-'Khaliq Gonzaga
"Representing San Francisco for 3 years at the National Poetry Slam Championships, I consider my job to be CULTURAL WORK (PostModern term for what I do: a combo of activisim, social work and art). While I am in my first year of my Buddhist Vows and I will be focusing my presentation on Buddhist sensibilites, I am still a practicing Muslim dervish (Sufi tradition) -I like to call myself a "MuBu". -Don't know if anyone really gives a shit or not... Just thought I'd let you know."

Mark Kenward
See Mark's website.

Delphine Mae
The piece Delphine will be performing at Buddha's Delight the part of the Traveling Series Trilogy called The Woman in the Silver Coat. Weaved in the living elements of physical theatre, poetry, and videos, the protagonist unfolds a story of her own destructions and illusions while the past and the present tangled together like cycles of birth and suffering, and rebirth again, with film by Urizen and Philip Ames.
From New York and Amsterdam, Delphine's Bay Area appearances include: ODC theatre, Asian American Performance, SF Int'l Butoh Festival, Theatre Yugen, Dance Mission Theatre, and ATA, etc. She was also a guest artist in UC Davis. In film and theatre, she has worked with Beiji/SF Film Group as well as Shakespearian productions such as Hamlet with the Armory Theatre Pro, Chicago. Expect to see her picking up lost shoes and conversations on the street while polishing her long-waited one-woman multimedia show in 2003. Merci!!

Medicine Wheel Dance Project
JOHN MICHAEL DOYLE worked as a carousel barker, read philosophy at Oxford and rediscovered his body through yoga and martial arts. In 1985 he moved from Canada to California and discovered a new freedom from set forms in both postmodern dance and Contact Improvisation. Since 1995 he has studied Butoh with Hiroko Tamano, Akira Kasai & other teachers. He has performed in many venues, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His own Medicine Wheel Dance Project is devoted to movement ritual and site-specific/outdoor performance that seeks to integrate a sense of place with indigenous wisdom. He develops activities for “deeper listening“ through his New Light Studio in Oakland.
SHEENA KOYAMA is from Yokohama, Japan. She dances The 5 Rhythms developed by Gabrielle Roth, practices Hakomi Somatic Therapy and recently published a book on the body awareness and spirituality.

Sonya Mehta
TBD

Nina Paley
Wes "Scoop" Nisker
Scoop has been a Bay Area Buddhist teacher and writer for over 30 years.

Shailja Patel
Shailja Patel is a Kenyan Indian explosion on the national spoken word scene! Her work has won slam championships, literary awards, and made audiences cry, yell, and rise in standing ovation across the country. She has featured on KPFA and the National Radio Project.

San Francisco Women's Drum Troupe
Taiko drumming originated in Japan where it has been played for centuries. It was once an integral part of life in Japan. It was used by farmers to drive away pests, on the field of battle and in many religions and religious rituals. It was once said to be the voice of the Buddha. Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka brought this dynamic art form to the US in the 1960s and since then its popularity has increased and many small groups have been started in the SF Bay Area. The San Francisco Women's Drum Troupe was created in 2000 by Carol Ayers, who has been studying and playing Taiko for over ten years. She started teaching beginning nontraditional Taiko to women and out of these classes grew a desire to perform and the Troupe was created. The Troupe's mission is to share their love of Taiko with their community by playing for various community events such as the SF AIDS WALK, Bay to Breakers, and the Race for the Cure.

Hiroko Tamano
Strangely soulful Butoh dancer Hiroko Tamano, well-known to Bay Area audiences as the co-founder of local Butoh troupe Harupin-Ha. Hiroko was a student and colleague of Tatsumi Hijikata, one of Butoh's foremost pioneers.

Ham Tran
TBD

Tuju Taksu Masked Dance Theatre
Tuju Taksu performances are characterized by hand-carved, contemporary Balinese masks and different dancer's interpretations of the characters. See their website.

Michael Wenger
Michael Wenger, Buddhist name Dairyu (Big Dragon) has practiced at the San Francisco Zen Center for 30 years. He is currently Dean of Buddhist Studies, sits in meditation posture daily and shows movies. He is married and studies with his 15 year old son.

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