a series of Liv’s choreographic, educational, and social innovation projects, in chronological-ish order. Liv’s resume including fellowships and teaching appointments can be found here.
CALLED, May 2025, St Ignatius Parish, San Francisco CA
Choreographed & Directed by Liv Schaffer
Dance Generators, in partnership with St Ignatius Parish, use intergenerationality as strategy for systemic change within faith based institutions through somatic/creative process groups and collaborative performances culminating in an evening length work. CALLED remains a current and ongoing project of Liv’s, including expanding programming, faith partners, and the development of an additional evening length work.
view trailer here + view digital program
CALLED (excerpt), November 2025 The Magnus Collection of Jewish Art & Life, Berkeley CA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer
An intergenerational duet, excerpted from CALLED presented as the culmination of LABA BAY AREA’s 2025 Fellowship.
LABA BAY AREA is a laboratory for Jewish culture and a program of the Firehouse. It is part of an international collective of LABAs, all of which use classic Jewish texts to inspire the creation of art, culture, conversation, and community. The program began in 2007 at the 14th Street Y in New York City (LABA NY), and now has hubs in Buenos Aires (LABA BA), the Bay Area (LABA BAY), and Berlin (LABA BE). LABA BAY AREA was formerly LABA East Bay, and a program of the JCC East Bay.
Why Intergen? January 2026, EngAGE Affordable Housing Communities Los Angeles, CA
Designed, Choreographed, Facilitated, Directed, & Project Managed by Liv Schaffer
Dance Generators partnered with EngAGE, an organization providing social services programs in arts, health + wellness, and lifelong learning within affordable housing across CA & OR for this special participatory performance & community dialogue event series to catalyze understanding and investment from residents in EngAGE’s new intergenerational programs.
Liv also currently serves as the Intergenerational Director for EngAGE where she spearheads all intergenerational vision, strategy, and programs organization wide.
Generations in Motion, Generations United Global Intergenerational Conference, June 2025 Louisville KY & June 2023 Washington DC
Presentation design & facilitation by Liv Schaffer
This interactive workshop will facilitate participants through creative and physical movement activities and group discussions designed to consider the role embodiment plays in bridging generational divides. Guided by prompts around aging and identity, participants will go back and forth between dancing and discussing to explore connection across differences. Participants will think, move, and respond creatively as individuals, in pairs, and collectively as a metaphor for envisioning a cogenerated future. Participants should come prepared for gentle exercise and creative expression, but no previous creative or physical experience is necessary. Accessible to all bodies, abilities, and ages.
Never the Two Shall Meet, November 2024, University of San Francisco, CA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performers
Dance Generators performing in the University of San Francisco’s Performing Arts & Social Justice department’s Fall Dance Ensemble Concert.
Constellate, August 2024, Berkeley Ballet Theater, Berkeley CA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performers
After receiving Dance for PD® training in March 2024, Liv was commissioned to choreograph a piece on Dance for PD® participants, performed at Berkeley Ballet Theater’s Summer Fundraiser.
Ether After, November 2023, University of San Francisco, CA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performers
Dance Generators performing in the University of San Francisco’s Performing Arts & Social Justice department’s Fall Dance Ensemble Concert.
Cogenerational Social Healing, March 2023, online
video series Directed by Liv Schaffer
The On Being Project & Cogenerate, with support from The New Pluralists, produced a collaborative digital media archive featuring the Dance Generators on how intergenerational dance generates connection, expression, and presence.
Pause to Bridge, March 2023, ODC Theater, San Francisco CA
Choreographed & Directed by Liv Schaffer & Dazaun Soleyn in collaboration with the performers
ODC Theater presents Dance Generators in a process-driven showing culminating a week in residence at ODC Theater and an additional week in residence at Ellen Webb Dance Studio. Dance Generators spent the weeks in reflective dialogue and improvisational score building that reflected rest, disruption, and culture bridging work — emergent themes from participant reflections.
Crowned, November 2022, University of San Francisco, CA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performers
Dance Generators performing in the University of San Francisco’s Performing Arts & Social Justice department’s Fall Dance Ensemble Concert.
Big Red House of Rest, 2022, ODC Theater, San Francisco CA
Choreographed & Directed by Liv Schaffer
Big Red House of Rest is an intergenerational dance project in collaboration between EngAGE and Dance Generators. The project reimagines paradigms of the nuclear family and enlivens communication pathways between generations.
What are the structures of family and community that embolden our flourishing? How do we curate what we pass on to others? How do our former and future selves interact in the face of crisis or celebration? Can we hold the complexities of considering the past and future simultaneously?
Through community engaged dance workshops within affordable housing (Hayward Senior Apartments and Crescent Park Family Housing) and public facing performances and community dialogue sessions, this group of dancers and Bay are elders co-create a vision for alternative family structures.
view photos from ODC Theater’s State of Play festival
Saludo, August 2019, Beckett MA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performers
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Inside/Out Series presents Liv Schaffer & Collaborators
Squared, August 2019, Beckett MA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performer
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Inside/Out Series presents Liv Schaffer & Collaborators
Jacob’s Pillow LAB In-Process Series & Curriculum in Motion® Community Engagement Residencies, December 2014-February 2026, Jacob’s Pillow, Beckett MA
Curriculum design, arts integration facilitation, choreography, and performance by Liv Schaffer
As a Community Engagement Artist with Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion®, Liv partners with school teachers and fellow Artists to design and facilitate arts integration curriculum for high school classes in English, Geometry, Spanish, Chemistry, Algebra, French, Physical Education at Monument Mountain Regional High School.
Residencies include choreographic research and presentation in in-school participatory assembly like programs and on Pillow campus performances to culminate each residency.
view solo video here (2018)
view LAB video here (2017)
Medicine in Motion Community Engagement Residencies & Research, 2018-2023, Jacob’s Pillow, Beckett MA
Curriculum design, facilitation, program evaluation, and research by Liv Schaffer
Culminating community engagement residencies with Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion, their arts integration methodology, teaching artist team Liv, Margot, and EJ present a series of solos, duets, and trios in response to
Pillars, April 2021, Dominican University of California, San Rafael CA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performers
Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program commission
Lume, Dominican University of California April 2019 & Yerba Buena Gardens June 2019
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performers
Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program commission & RAWdance & Yerba Buena Gardens Festival ChoreoFest present Liv Schaffer for this site specific work animating the East Gardens.
view LINES BFA video here + ChoreoFest photos here
Mortality in Motion, October 2018, Ruth’s Table, San Francisco CA
Curriculum designed + facilitated by Liv Schaffer
Creative/somatic process group reflecting on grief, loss, aging, and mortality presented by Dance Generators & Ruth’s Table.
Fatherland, June 2018, Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco CA
Choreographed by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with the performers
RAWdance & Yerba Buena Gardens Festival ChoreoFest present Liv Schaffer for this site specific work animating the East Gardens.
Virtual Intergenerational Dance Gatherings, 2020, online
Curriculum designed + facilitated by Liv Schaffer
Virtual movement classes made to cultivate creativity, physical exercise, and social connection for age diverse groups during the Covid-19 pandemic presented by Dance Generators.
view class 1, class 2, + class 3
Intergen Dance Lab & DG drop-in practice sessions, 2023-2026, University of San Francisco CA
Curriculum designed + facilitated by Liv Schaffer, guest artists curated by Liv Schaffer
In-person movement gatherings exploring dance as pathway to intergenerational connection
Intergenerational Dance as Social Practice, October 2022, ODC Theater, San Francisco CA
Curriculum designed + facilitated by Liv Schaffer in collaboration with Amie Dowling & Megan Nicely
Participatory lecture demonstration leveraging intergenerational dance practice as a tool for social change. presented by ODC Arts & Ideas series & USF’s Performing Arts & Social Justice department.
view event photos here