Who: Jacob’s Pillow
What: Virtual gala and dance party
Where: Jacob’s Pillow online and Zoom
When: Saturday, June 12, free with RSVP, 7:00 (available through June 19 at 7:00)
Why: Evolving from “Tea Lecture Demonstrations” begun in 1933 by Ted Shawn’s Men Dancers on a farm in Becket, Massachusetts, Jacob’s Pillow developed into one of the most important places for dance in the world. The annual gala is being held virtually on June 12 at 7:00, with performances by New Zealand’s Black Grace, England’s Candoco Dance Company, Brazil’s Companhia Urbana de Dança, Senegal’s Germaine Acogny, Hong Kong’s Hong Kong Ballet, the Netherlands’ Nederlands Dans Theater, India’s Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, and France’s Paris Opera Ballet in addition to a premiere from 2021 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award winner Dormeshia. The gala, which will be available on demand through June 19 at 7:00, will be followed by a live Zoom dance party at about 8:20 hosted by Christal Brown and DJ DP One. Donations will be accepted to continue the Pillow’s mission and to renovate the Ted Shawn Theatre; sadly, the Doris Duke Theatre was destroyed in a fire in November. Part of the proceeds will also go to the Ohketeau Cultural Center in Ashfield.
this week in dance
DUMBO DANCE FESTIVAL 2021
DUMBO DANCE FESTIVAL
June 10-13, $15 unless otherwise noted
www.whitewavedance.org
The twentieth annual Dumbo Dance Festival will be celebrated virtually, with dance companies streaming in from around the country as well as from Hungary, Mexico, and South Korea. Hosted by White Wave Dance, which was founded in Brooklyn in 1988 by Young Soon Kim, the festival features eight programs in addition to a family-friendly presentation, a workshop for kids, and a virtual gala. “This is a festival about opportunities,” Kim said in a statement. “The Dumbo Dance Festival provides an opportunity for over 350 performing artists to showcase their work. Further, it offers New York and global audiences the chance to experience one of the most diverse displays of leading-edge choreography and excellence at an affordable price.” Below is the full schedule; VIP tickets to the gala include an in-person open bar at White Wave Dance.
Thursday, June 10
Virtual gala, with Gerald Appelstein, Danni Gee, Jennifer Muller, Ludo Scheffer, Thera Marshall, Pascal Rekoert, Young Soon Kim, including keynote speeches and filmed performances by Jennifer Muller | The Works, Obremski/Works, Daegu City Dance Company, collective A |Jinyeob Cha & Theatre Mucheon|Ara Kim, and White Wave Dance (iyouuswe II), with VIP open-bar after-party at White Wave Dance, $100-$250, 7:00
Friday, June 11
Program 1: RAD | Renay Aumiller Dances; Jessica Michal / Moves; Yu.S.Artistry; UB Theater and Dance; Olivia Passarelli; Napolitano Dance; Can Wang; Daegu City Dance Company, 7:00
Program 2: Alison Cook Beatty Dance; Janos Feledi — Feledi Project; Won Kim; Sam Lobel; East by North Dance Theatre; sk|dancers; collective A/Jinyeob Cha; Obremski/Works, 9:00
Saturday, June 12
Program 3: Alessandra Corona Performing Works; Dual Rivet; Obremski/Works; Autumn Eckman; L Squared Dance Theatre; Kit Modus; Anthony Alterio; TheCo (Tec Dance Company), 2:00
Program 4: Elizabeth Shea Dance; Soluq Dance Theater; So Young Park; Meta Dance/Jeonga Hong; Alex Mitchell Choreography; shawnbibledanceco.; Meg Kirchhoff; Theatre Mucheon/Ara Kim, 4:00
Program 5: TalCual Dance Projects; Sean Howe Dance; Marlene Skog Dance; Meta Dance/Youngeun Kwak; New Breed Dance; Valerie Green/Dance Entropy; Biodance; Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre, 6:00
Program 6: Dance Theatre of New Jersey; Company | E; Forza Dance Company; Inclined Dance Project; Meta Dance/Sungok Choi; Stephanie Avila; Seop Dance Company/Yongchul Kim; White Wave Young Soon Kim Dance Company, 8:00
Sunday, June 13
Kids Can Dance, hip hop/b-boy and modern dance classes over Zoom, led by Katie Garcia, free with RSVP, noon
Family-Friendly Show, with Alison Cook Beatty Dance; Janos Feledi — Feledi Project; Anthony Alterio; Seop Dance Company/Yongchul Kim; Inclined Dance Project; Alex Mitchell Choreography; Sam Lobel; Daegu City Dance Company, 1:30
Program 7: CrossMove Lab; Amos Pinhasi; TheCo (Tec Dance Company); Erika Gilmor; Dance/Tharin; Spark Movement Collective; Guidong Zhou; Dancing Wheels Company, 4:00
Program 8: Grand finale with LeeTaeSang Project; Company | E; Dance Theatre of New Jersey; Alex Mitchell Choreography, Meta Dance/Youngeun Kwak; collective A/Jinyeob Cha; Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre; White Wave Young Soon Kim Dance Company, 6:00
PERFORMANCE MIX FESTIVAL 2021
Lisa Parra and Daniel Pinheiro’s LAND Project kicks off Performance Mix Festival
PERFORMANCE MIX FESTIVAL
122 Community Center courtyard and Movement Research
150 First Ave. at Ninth St.
June 10-13, suggested donation $15 per event
newdancealliance.org
The thirty-fifth annual Performance Mix Festival, hosted by New Dance Alliance at Movement Research at 122 Community Center and the Courtyard at 122CC, will be a hybrid of live and filmed experimental dances with immersive installations and a ritualistic happening in Prospect Park. Running June 10-13, the festival features such creators as Lisa Parra and Daniel Pinheiro, Dana Michel and Tracy Maurice, Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC, Degenerate Art Ensemble, and Anh Vo; tickets are a suggested donation of $15. Sari Nordman’s Tower will be on view all four days, a multimedia installation that explores climate change and the tower of Babel. All COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed; below is the complete schedule.
Thursday, June 10
Lisa Parra and Daniel Pinheiro, LAND Project, live and virtual, with Parra in New York and Pinheiro in Portugal using video-conferencing, 7:00
Anh Vo, non-binary pussy, live, 8:30
Friday, June 11
Andrew Tay, livestreamed performance of queer moments of reflection, transformation, dream, and perversion, 3:00
Dana Michel and Tracy Maurice, Lay them all down (video installation), 7:00
Shared program: Videos and films by Camilo Godoy (lecture-demonstration from What did they actually see?), Jil Guyon (Widow’s End and Coda), Rosy Simas (yödoishëndahgwa’geh [a place for rest]), and Andrew Tay, 8:00
Saturday, June 12
Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC, Baptism (Part I), part of Process memoir 6: thenowlater (HEART), ritualistic happening, Prospect Park, noon
Looking Back: Highlights from the Performance Mix Festival 1986-2020, 7:00
Shared program: Degenerate Art Ensemble (new work performed by director/dancer Haruko Crow Nishimura, composer/musician Joshua Kohl, and video artist Leo Mayberry, with costumes by Wyly Astley) and Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC, Baptism (Part II), 7:30
Sunday, June 13
Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez,” A Garden in the Shape of Dreams, noon
Shared program: Co-creation Hadley Smith/Johanna S. Meyer, Rachel Thorne Germond Performance Collage (Enigma of an Afternoon), we are: anna, Kimiko, s., Symara, Tara, Taylor, Ogemdi and marion (to love the rise/pt 2), and Yvonne Meier (Phantasiewelt, with music by Zeena Parkins and Ikue Mori), 2:00
Shared program: Alethea Pace (excerpts from Here goes the neighborhood), Leslie Cuyjet, MOLLY&NOLA, and Nami Yamamoto (powerless creature keeps going . . . [working title]), 4:00
THE NEXT FESTIVAL OF EMERGING ARTISTS: 2021 VIRTUAL FESTIVAL
Who: Seth Parker Woods, Gabriela Lena Frank, Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Jessica Meyer, Ashleigh Gordon, Aizuri Quartet, Chi-chi Nwanoku, David Radzynski, Jeff Scott, Trevor New, Lina Gonzalez-Granados, Donna Weng Friedman, Karin Fong, Derek Bermel, choreographer S. Ama Wray, Jonathan Alsberry, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Jamie Benson, Aaron Jay Kernis, Peter Askim, Brian Goldstein, Ross Karre, Elaine Grogan Luttrull
What: Multidisciplinary arts festival
Where: Next Fest online
When: Tuesdays – Thursdays, June 8 – July 1, free with RSVP
Why: Composer, conductor, and bassist Peter Askim founded the Next Festival of Emerging Artists in 2013, “committed to advancing contemporary concert music through performance, audience engagement, and the nurturing of emerging artists with a passion for 21st-century music.” The organization will be holding its 2021 festival online from June 8 to July 1, consisting of panel discussions, performances, keynote addresses, master classes, and more; admission to all events is free with advance RSVP, but tickets are limited. The 2021 edition focuses on “Business & Entrepreneurship” June 8-10, “Social Justice & Activism” June 15-17, “Artistry & Musicality” June 22-24, and “Multidisciplinary Collaboration” June 29 – July 1. Among the highlights are “A Performative Rebirth with Seth Parker Woods” on June 8 at 7:30, “Chi-chi Nwanoku and the Creation of Chineke!” on nJune 15 at noon, “Festival Fellows in Concert” June 24 at 7:30, and the “Festival Finale with the Aizuri Quartet, Aaron Jay Kernis, Trevor New, S. Ama Wray, Derek Bermel, and the 2021 Composer/Choreographer Workshop” July 1 at 7:30.
RIVER TO RIVER FESTIVAL 2021
Mariana Valencia’s Futurity is part of 2021 River to River Festival
Multiple locations
June 10-27, free (some events require advance RSVP)
RSVPs open June 1
lmcc.net
The twentieth annual River to River Festival, one of the most eagerly awaited events of each summer, runs June 10-27, with free live performances and screenings on Governors Island, in Battery Park City, the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, and other locations. Curated by Lili Chopra and Nanette Nelms, the 2021 edition features works that explore female identity, the African diaspora, colonialism, and other sociopolitical issues. Everything is free, but some events require advance RSVP, beginning June 1; from the way New Yorkers have responded to other live, free performances as the city opens up following the pandemic lockdown, you better be at your computer, ready to go, if you want to snag some tickets.
Among the highlights are processions through Battery Park City led by Miguel Gutierrez, Okwui Okpokwasili, and the Illustrious Blacks; a concert honoring Wayne Shorter, with esperanza spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Leo Genovese; the premiere of Arthur Jafa’s WS, a longer super nova, a tribute to Shorter; Maria Hassabi’s TOGETHER, which was booked immediately when it was part of the 2019 Performa Biennial; and nora chipaumire’s Nehanda, an opera based on the 1898 court case The Queen vs. Nehanda, involving a medium who was also a heroic revolutionary leader in Southern Rhodesia. Several films will be available to livestream following its public premiere.
Thursday, June 10
Opening Concert honoring Wayne Shorter, with esperanza spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Leo Genovese, La Plaza, the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, 114 Norfolk St., followed by premiere of Arthur Jafa’s WS, a longer super nova, Flamboyán Theater, 107 Suffolk St., free with RSVP, 7:30
Saturday, June 12
A Day at The Arts Center at Governors Island, with site-specific exhibitions by Meg Webster and Onyedika Chuke, a participatory sculpture by Muna Malik, Open Studios with LMCC 2021 Arts Center artists-in-residence, Damon Davis’s film The Stranger, and more, free with RSVP, noon – 5:00
June 12-22
esperanza spalding, Songwrights Apothecary Lab, live installation, the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, 107 Suffolk St., more info to come
June 12, 17, 24, 8:00, June 19, 26, 3:00
Livestreaming of Arthur Jafa’s WS, a longer super nova, followed by discussion with Wayne Shorter, esperanza spalding, Greg Tate, and Craig Street, free with RSVP
June 13-27
Damon Davis, The Stranger, allegorical film shot in Ghana about a Black American returning to his place of origin, starring Sel Kofiga, Damon Davis, Lola Ogbara, and Dalychia Saah, narrated by Ria Boss, with a score by Owen Ragland, digital streaming, free
Sunday, June 13
Processions, with Miguel Gutierrez, Teardrop Park, Battery Park City, free with RSVP
Sunday, June 20
Processions, with Okwui Okpokwasili, Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City, free with RSVP
Friday, June 25
Processions, with the Illustrious Blacks, South Cove, Battery Park City, free with RSVP
June 15-27
Womxn in Windows, multipart video installation in storefront windows exploring female identity, co-curated with Zehra Ahmed, Seaport District, free
June 16, 19, 22, 24
Black Gotham Experience, As Above So Below, interactive walking tours about the African diaspora in Lower Manhattan, featuring Kamau Ware and Rodney Leon, begins at 192 Front St., free with RSVP, 5:30 – 7:30
June 25-27
Mariana Valencia, Futurity, queerstories featuring Star Baby, Studio A3, the Arts Center at Governors Island, free with RSVP, 1:00 & 4:30
June 26-27
Maria Hassabi, TOGETHER, location TBA, free with RSVP, 6:00
Saturday, June 26
nora chipaumire, Nehanda, immersive, participatory, and durational filmed performance, La Plaza, the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, 114 Norfolk St., free with RSVP
BALLET HISPÁNICO: 50 YEARS OF DANCE, ORGULLO, EDUCATION, SABOR, ACCESS, AMOR, COMMUNITY, ESPÍRITU, AND INNOVATION
Who: Ballet Hispánico
What: Virtual golden anniversary celebration
Where: Ballet Hispánico online, Facebook, YouTube
When: Friday, May 28, free with RSVP, 6:30 (available on demand for two weeks)
Why: Manhattan-based Ballet Hispánico was founded in 1970 by Tina Ramirez with a mission to “bring communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through innovative dance productions, transformative dance training, and community engagement.” It has been doing that for half a century and will be celebrating that milestone with a live anniversary gala on May 28 at 6:30 (and will be available on demand for two weeks). “50 Years of Dance, Orgullo, Education, Sabor, Access, Amor, Community, Espíritu, and Innovation” will feature premieres by Lauren Anderson, Ana “”Rokafella” Garcia, and Belén Maya alongside works by Graciela Daniele, Ann Reinking, Geoffrey Holder, Nacho Duato, Pedro Ruiz, and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. The event will be hosted by artistic director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro and School of Dance students Chelsea Phillips and Theo Adarkar, with special appearances by Anderson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Luis Miranda, Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas, Rosie Perez, and Darren Walker. “We are honored to be joined by such an amazing group of artists and supporters to commemorate the legacy and future of Ballet Hispánco,” Vilaro said in a statement. “The past year has been a challenging time for everyone, and we look forward to this opportunity to gather with our beloved community virtually and safely to perform for you, to honor our roots, and celebrate our heritage and growth.” Be sure to also check out BUnidos, the company’s online programming that includes dance films, classes, “Motivational Mondays,” and the upcoming Instituto Coregráfico.
DanceAfrica Festival 2021
BAM, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Mark Morris Dance Center, and online
May 29 – June 14, free – $44
www.bam.org
“Ago!”
For many people, Memorial Day Weekend means beach, barbecue, and a day off work. For me, and those in the know, it signals BAM’s DanceAfrica, an annual celebration of the arts across the African diaspora. The forty-fourth annual event takes us to Haiti with a series of virtual and in-person live programs honoring the spirit of the Caribbean island nation that has persevered through colonialism, revolution, occupation, violent dictatorships, coups, and a devastating earthquake. The festival is already under way with the public installation “A Return: Liberation as Power,” featuring works by Delphine Desane, M. Florine Démosthène, Mark Fleuridor, Adler Guerrier, Kathia St. Hilare, and Didier William projected on the BAM sign at the corner of Lafayette and Flatbush Aves. through May 31. Also available now is “DanceAfrica 2021: Choreographers’ Conversation,” a free online talk with DanceAfrica artistic director and DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers founder Abdel R. Salaam, Dieufel Lamisere of HaitiDansco, Portsha T. Jefferson of Rara Tou Limen, Fritzlyn “Fritz” Hector of the Fritzation Experience, and Adia Tamar Whitaker of Àṣẹ Dance Theatre Collective, moderated by Collegium for African Diaspora Dance founding director Thomas F. DeFrantz. The fantastic DanceAfrica Bazaar, always a highlight of the festival, has gone digital as well, with clothing, accessories, food and drink, and home goods available online.
On May 28 at 6:00, teens grades 9-12 can take part in the free multidisciplinary presentation “Haiti in Full Scope,” a virtual exploration of Haitian history and culture. From May 28 to June 3, FilmAfrica, in conjunction with the African Film Festival, will present screenings of such features, documentaries, and shorts as Raoul Peck’s Meurtre à Pacot, Eve Blouin and Raynald Leconte’s In the Eye of the Spiral and Leconte’s Real Maravilloso, Guetty Felin’s Ayiti Mon Amour, and Philippe Niang’s Toussaint Louverture. The centerpiece of the festival is BAM’s first evening-length dance film, Vwa Zanset Yo: Y’ap Pale, N’ap Danse! (“Ancestral Voices: They Speak . . . We Dance!”), debuting May 29 at 7:00, with commissioned pieces from HaitiDansco in Cap Haitien, Rara Tou Limen Haitian Dance Company in Oakland, Àṣẹ Dance Theatre Collective in Brooklyn, and the Fritzation Experience in Brooklyn in addition to a Libation ceremony and the Procession of the Council of Elders. “Out of the darkness of this pandemic we see a brilliant new digital platform that enables us to present our annual celebration through the magic of film! The future and spirit of DanceAfrica, in person or virtual, lives within audiences and communities of the world,” Baba Abdel R. Salaam said in a statement. That will be followed by a free live virtual dance party at 8:00 with DJ Hard Hittin Harry.
There will also be a free hands-on community workshop for caregivers and children of all ages on May 29 at 10:00 am at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 with Nadia Dieudonné; the inaugural Community Day Bantaba, consisting of virtual dance performances submitted by community members, along with a photo booth and introductions by DanceAfrica Senior Council of Elders Mamma Lynette White and Baba Bill Mathews; an adaptive workshop and a master class on May 31, held in person at the Mark Morris Dance Center and virtually, the former designed for persons with disabilities, led by Pat Hall, the latter for intermediate and advanced dancers, led by Dieudonné; and a DanceAfrica Timeline, taking us back through the archives of this unique and inclusive festival, founded in 1977 by the great Chuck Davis.
“Ame!”