By Rita Felciano

THE BEST OF times, the worst of times: this fall's crowded calendar of events is sure to slim the pocketbooks of dedicated dance audiences. Still, many upcoming shows are only a little more expensive than a movie ticket or dinner at a restaurant, and the thrill of an evening of excellent live performance is difficult to match. The following list offers just a hint of the creativity being harnessed locally and nationally – no thanks to a political climate that's less than hospitable to risk taking, supporting the arts, and an underlying belief that feeding the imagination is important.

Digital Dance Festival The fall dance season kicks off with a mid-September weekend marked by events that couldn't be more different from each other. This festival is co-curated by Krissy Keefer and Yannis Adoniou – who, perhaps more than any other local choreographer, has embraced the interface between dance and technology. It's an ideal showcase for artists who want to show digital works or present pieces that use digital arts in conjunction with live performance. Sept. 17-19, 8 p.m., Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St., S.F. Call for price. (415) 273-4633.

John Jasperse Company John Jasperse is one of those voices whose echoes have floated westward for a number of years but whose work is pretty much unknown in these parts. He makes rigorous, often witty pieces and is developing a rep for conceptually intriguing ideas. For his Bay Area debut, he's jettisoned a typical greatest-hits approach, bringing his latest opus – the evening-length California – instead. Sept. 17-18, 8 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 701 Mission, S.F. $24-$45. (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org.

Oni Ochun Cultural Center For Patakin, a new dance theater work, Oakland's Oni Ochun Cultural Center has gathered some 20 performing artists – including dancers, musicians, and storytellers – to stage eight of the many parables that are integral to Yoruba-Santeria-Lukumi practices. The finished work, created by priests of the religion, is an homage to the millions of West Africans who've survived journeys to the Americas and succeeded in upholding and transforming a spirituality that still sustains Caribbean and Afro-Brazilian people. Sept. 24-26, 8 p.m., ODC Theater, 3153 17th St., S.F. $13-$15. (415) 863-9834, www.odctheater.org.

Shen Wei Arts Once in a while an artist arrives who isn't like anyone else. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, he or she hits like a thunderbolt across a dark sky. Shen Wei is one such phenomenon. A founding member of China's first modern dance company, Guandong Modern Dance, Wei was also trained in visual arts and Chinese opera, and he brings all of these influences to bear on work that's spectacular. His interpretation of The Rite of Spring uses the rehearsal score of Stravinsky's masterpiece. Sept. 25, 8 p.m.; Sept. 26, 7 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk. $26-$48. (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu.

Cullberg Ballet A local performance two years ago proved that this Stockholm-based company – one of the oldest contemporary ballet ensembles in Europe – is an immaculately trained troupe capable of executing just about any piece of choreography put in front of them. Their rather idiosyncratic adaptation of Swan Lake at the time may not have been the wisest of choices, but this go-round they're bringing original works by their current artistic director, Johan Inger, and their former one, Mats Ek. This is a company that proves ballet can be as up-to-date as any other type of dance. Oct. 14-16, 8 p.m.; Oct. 17, 2 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 701 Mission, S.F. $35-$52. (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org.

Krissy Keefer Spell ... 13 Performances to Invoke Regime Change is Krissy Keefer's attempt to keep our spirits high in light of the upcoming election. Indomitably optimistic in her efforts to affect change through the power of the imagination, she hopes the mix of magic and miracle in this site-specific multimedia work will resonate loudly enough to bring about an upheaval of the status quo. Keefer takes responsibility for the "magic" part; Rene Yanez's Day of the Dead SomArts installation takes care of the "miracle." Oct. 14-Nov. 2, SomArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan, S.F. Call for times and prices. (415) 552-2131.

Chris Black/Potrzebie Dance Project and Fellow Travelers Performance Group No, the title – An Evening of Heaven and Hell – doesn't refer to their relationship. These local stalwarts often perform in each others' work. In fact, they're well matched: both create dance that respects the brain and the heart while rewarding a keen sense of humor. Chris Black reprises her remarkable solo The Ecstasy of Saint What's Her Name, which she gave herself as a present upon the 10th anniversary of her company a couple of years ago. Fellow Travelers' Ken James shows The Appetites of Gluttony, the first of a series of seven pieces inspired by Dante's Inferno. Nov. 4-6, 8 p.m., ODC Theater, 3153 17th St., S.F. $12-$15. (415) 863-9834, www.odctheater.org.

San Francisco Hip-Hop Dance Fest Here's a festival that has only gotten better since an already-hot beginning six years ago. The programming highlights a wonderful mix of community groups, schools, and small ensembles – as well as established masters who started it all and who can teach it all. This year brings a first: a premiere by Philadelphia master Rennie Harris, who sets a piece on Destiny Youth Performance Company. In addition, Corey Action Harrison choreographs a solo for himself and a new piece for his New Style Motherlode ensemble. Nov. 18-20, 8 p.m.; Nov. 21, 7 p.m., Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon, S.F. $25. www.cityboxoffice.com.

Matthew Bourne In December San Francisco Ballet unveils its new Nutcracker. But if you can't wait that long and you prefer your candy canes rather spicy, you should taste Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!. Don't expect a choreographer who outfits Swan Lake dancers in feathery pants (and Cinderella's prince in a Royal Air Force uniform) to be overly respectful of a traditional holiday favorite. This Nutcracker! – note the exclamation point – starts in a Victorian orphanage, ice-skates through winter wonders, and ends in a candyland. Nov. 26-Dec. 3, call for show times, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk. $36-$74. (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu.