this week in dance

THE DANCE NOW STORY

Who: Honorees Gus Solomons jr., Robert Battle, Jane Comfort, Claire Porter, Satoshi Haga, David Parker/the Bang Group, many dance companies
What: Annual festival moves from Joe’s Pub to online for twenty-fifth anniversary
Where: Dance Now online
When: September 10 – May 20, performances $10, performance plus celebration $20,
Why: Dance Now is celebrating its silver anniversary by looking at the past and into the future with “The Dance Now Story,” a six-part virtual series that kicked off September 10 with new five-minute digital commissions from Ayodele Casel, Mike Esperanza, and LMnO3 in addition to archival works from HUMA, Tricia Brouk, and DN honoree Gus Solomons jr.; it will be followed by a live, virtual Artist-to-Audience Celebration on October 1 at 7:00 hosted by TruDee. Chapter two takes place October 8 with new digital commissions from Jamal Jackson and Nicole Wolcott & Katy Pyle, along with archival works from Wanjiru Kamuyu & Katherine Helen Fisher and DN honoree Robert Battle; the live celebration is set for October 22 with host Christal Brown. “The DN Story” continues November 12 with new digital commissions from Mariana Valencia and Nicole Vaughan-Diaz & Orlando Hernandez and archival works from Take Dance & Amber Sloan and DN honoree Jane Comfort, with the celebration set for December 3 with host Sara Juli. Chapter four launches on February 11 with new digital commissions by Kate Ladenheim, Alice Sheppard, Subject: Matter, and Maleek Washington and archival works from Adam Barruch and Mark Gindick, with a February 25 celebration honoring Claire Porter with host TruDee.

On March 11, chapter five features new digital commissions by Tsiambwom M. Akuchu, Brendan Drake, and Jasmine Hearn and archival works by Ruben Graciani and Megan Williams, with a March 25 party honoring Satoshi Haga, hosted by Germaul Barnes. And the series concludes May 6 with new digital commissions by Sarah Chien, Kayla Farrish, and Joshua L. Peugh and archival works by John Heginbotham and Paula Josa-Jones, along with the final live Artist-to-Audience Celebration, honoring David Parker/the Bang Group on May 20, hosted by Larry Keigwin and Nicole Wolcott. The Dance Now festival usually takes place at Joe’s Pub, so maybe parts of the event will be allowed to move indoors by the time some of the later chapters come up. Virtual tickets are $10 for each chapter performance, which you can watch any time once it releases, and $20 for access to the chapter as well as the live party.

BUNHEADS: MISTY COPELAND IN CONVERSATION WITH VANITY FAIR’S RADHIKA JONES

Who: Misty Copeland, Radhika Jones
What: Online discussion
Where: 92nd St. Y online
When: Wednesday, September 30, $10, 7:00
Why: “When Miss Bradley announced they’d be performing the ballet Coppélia for the recital, everyone in Misty’s class shouted excitedly and gathered around to hear their teacher tell the story of Coppélia. Misty didn’t know what Coppélia meant, and she was too shy to ask — especially since it was her first ballet class ever! So Misty took a spot on the floor, and before she knew it, she was completely entranced as Miss Bradley told the tale.” So begins Misty Copeland’s second children’s book, Bunheads (Putnam, September 29, $17.99), the follow-up to her debut, The Firebird. The start of a new series, Bunheads, illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey, shares Copeland’s initial foray into the world of ballet as a child; she would grow up to become the first African American female principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre. On September 30 at 7:00, she will launch the book in a livestreamed conversation with Vanity Fair editor in chief Radhika Jones in a talk hosted by the 92nd St. online. You can listen to a clip of Copeland reading from the book here.

MARTHA MATINEES: THE EVE PROJECT

Martha Graham Dance Company concludes The Eve Project with livestream September 23 & 26 (photo copyright Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, Inc.)

Who: Martha Graham Dance Company
What: Finale of The Eve Project
Where: Martha Graham Dance Company YouTube
When: Wednesday, September 23, and Saturday, September 26, free, 2:30
Why: Martha Graham Dance Company’s “Martha Matinees” series continues this week with the conclusion of The Eve Project, its celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, as well as honoring the current renewed focus on gender and power. On September 23 and 26 at 2:30, MGDC will stream Julien Bryan’s 1935 film of Martha Graham performing Frontier: American Perspective of the Plains, which pays tribute to the spirit of pioneer women; a recent performance of Errand into the Maze with Charlotte Landreau and Lloyd Mayor; and the premiere of 19 Poses for the 19th Amendment, an Instagram challenge that asked people to re-create any of nineteen photos of Graham performing such poses as “Prelude to Action,” “Masque,” and “Spectre 1914” from Chronicle, “Clytemnestra,” “Phaedra,” “Satyric Festival Song,” “American Document” and “Primitive Mysteries.”

“Experimentation with technology has always been a significant part of how we make our work accessible to all audiences,” artistic director Janet Eilber, who hosts the “Martha Matinees” livestreams, explained in a statement. “Our use of media onstage and off, our interactive projects online, and our substantial presence on social media have prepared us to face the digital urgency of the Covid crisis. Our ninety-fifth season will be enhanced by the new, virtual journeys we are creating — coordinating our many online events and offering context to the depth and breadth of the Graham legacy and all we do to move into the future. Our dancers are not only nimble onstage but in the creation of online artistry.” Head over to the MGDC YouTube page to see such previous virtual presentations as Immediate Tragedy, Larry Keigwin’s Lamentation Variation, Justin Scholar’s Eve Forging, Landreau’s Opus One, and So Young An and Lloyd Knight in . . . Remember. . . .

ERASING BORDERS DANCE FESTIVAL

The twelfth annual Erasing Borders Festival goes virtual this year

Who: Shambhu Nath Karmakar/Ashpara Care Club, Neha Mondal Chakravarty, Krishnakshi Kashyap, Ganesh Vasudeva, Divyaa Unni, Arun Mathai, Sandhya Raju, Damir Tasmagambetov, Barkha Patel, Mesma Belsaré, Vishwakiran Nambi, Nahid Siddiqui
What: Virtual borderless dance festival
Where: Facebook Live
When: September 20-27, free with RSVP, 8:30
Why: The twelfth annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival is truly erasing borders by going virtual this year. Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, which is “passionately dedicated to promoting, showcasing, and building an awareness of the arts and artists whose heritage lies in the Indian subcontinent in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, and folk arts,” Erasing Borders is a weeklong celebration of storytelling through movement, with free performances by eleven artists as well as workshops, all focused on healing during this difficult time, with pieces dealing with Black Lives Matter, transgender issues, womanhood, the nourishment of water, ritual, and more. “Moving to a virtual format has its own artistic challenges, but we believe it opened up many possibilities. Our artists are from across the world, representing many of India’s dance forms. Bringing them together on an online platform was not only the most responsible and exciting way of showcasing their work but also displaying the virtuosity of diversity,” festival director Deepsikha Chatterjee said in a statement. Below is the schedule, with the title of the work and the type of dance listed in parentheses.

Sunday, September 20
Shambhu Nath Karmakar/Ashpara Care Club (Mahisasur Mardini, Purulia Chhau)

Monday, September 21
Neha Mondal Chakravarty (Sukriti, Kalakshetra Bharatanatyam)
Krishnakshi Kashyap (Rama Niranjana, Rojaghoria Saali, Sattriya)

Tuesday, September 22
Ganesh Vasudeva (Descent of the Ganges, Bharatanatyam)

Wednesday, September 23
Divyaa Unni (It’s a New Beginning, Bharatanatyam)
Arun Mathai (Shivoham, Bharatanatyam)

Thursday, September 24
Sandhya Raju (Govardhana Giri Dhara, Kuchipudi)

Friday, September 25
Damir Tasmagambetov (Invocation: Ganapathi Stuthi, Kumarasambhavam, Kalakshetra Bharatanatyam)
Barkha Patel (Aravani, Contemporary Kathak)

Saturday, September 26
Mesma Belsaré (The Dancing Sculptures, Shilpa Natana)

Sunday, September 27
Vishwakiran Nambi (Pyre, Contemporary)
Workshops by Nahid Siddiqui (Sufi Kathak)

RUBIN MUSEUM VIRTUAL BLOCK PARTY: AN ONLINE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

The Rubin Museum’s annual block party goes virtual this year

Who: Tsherin Sherpa, Sneha Shrestha, Tenzin Phuntsog, Yakpo Collective, Uttam Grandhi, YindaYin Coaching, Day Schildkret, Kate Johnson, Brooklyn Raga Massive, Ajna Dance, Samira Sadeque and the Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts, more
What: Virtual block party
Where: Rubin Museum online
When: Sunday, September 20, free, noon (available through Setpember 27)
Why: The Rubin Museum chose quite a year to explore the concept of impermanence as the country goes through the Covid-19 crisis, massive wildfires, protests over police brutality, and the loss of too many cultural and political icons. The Rubin, which specializes in the art and culture of the Himalayan regions, is open, but its annual block party is being held online, taking place September 20 beginning at noon, with all events free. The symbol for the 2020 festival is the lotus, which represents purity, fortune, prosperity, rebirth, and spiritual enlightenment, things we can all use these days. The afternoon will feature studio visits with Tsherin Sherpa, Sneha Srethsa, Tenzin Phuntzog, Yakpo Collective, and Uttam Grandhi; mindfulness practices with Kate Johnson, Reimagine, Day Schildkret, and New York Yoga + Life magazine; art-making with YindaYin Coaching; interactive classes with Brooklyn Raga Massive and Ajna Dance; activism and advocacy with India Home; and performances by Sonam Kids and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. You can also visit the beautiful institution with timed tickets; the current exhibitions include “Masterworks of Himalayan Art,” “The Lotus Effect: A Participatory Installation for Times of Transformation,” “Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power,” “Measure Your Existence,” “Charged with Buddha’s Blessings: Relics from an Ancient Stupa,” and “Gateway to Himalayan Art.”

NATIONAL DANCE DAY: SC7NARIO

Who: Tyler Hanes, Virgil ‘Lil O’ Gadson, Alex Wong, Max Clayton, Ryan Steele, Karla Garcia, Amber Ardolino, Christine Cornish Smith, Terk Lewis, Francesca Granell, Ryan Breslin, Blair Beasley, JJ Butler, Lauren Butler, Damian Chambers, Reanna Comstock, Adam Coy, Alexa De Barr, Joseph Fierberg, Lexi Garcia, David Guzman, Jordan Fife Hunt, Erin Kei, Major King, Katie Laduca, John Manolis, Mateo Melendez, Hamilton Moore, Nicolette Pappas, Whitney Renee, Madeline Rodrigue, Hilary Smith, Katherine Stanas, Ryan VanDenBoom, Richard Westfahl, Gabriella Whiting
What: Livestream premiere of dance film
Where: BroadwayHD
When: Saturday, September 19, free
Why: You can celebrate National Dance Day on September 19 by checking out the premiere of SC7NARIO, an eighteen-minute film choreographed by Banji Aborisade and directed by Aborisade and Moogie Brooks that features more than three dozen performers from Broadway and off Broadway moving and grooving to a score by Mason Bonner. The narrative involves a writer in a cafe working on a new tale that suddenly comes alive around him. The film was shot at Sweetleaf Coffee Roasters in Greenpoint prior to the pandemic; Barton Cortright served as cinematographer and editor, with costumes by Kathryn Bailey. A subscription service, BroadwayHD will also be streaming such shows as An American in Paris, 42nd Street, Cats, Fame, Pippin, the Royal Ballet’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland and The Nutcracker, and other productions as part of National Dance Day.

LEANING INTO THE UNKNOWN: AN ARTIST’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19

Who: Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Mignolo Dance, Christy E. O’Connor, Dimitri Reyes, Lisa Campbell
What: Livestream broadcast
Where: Ramapo College Berrie Center YouTube channel
When: Saturday, September 19 & 26, free (donations accepted for the Contemporary Arts Fund or the Covid-19 Student Emergency Fund through the Ramapo Foundation), 8:00
Why: The New Jersey arts community responds to the pandemic lockdown with “Leaning into the Unknown,“ two evenings of dance, spoken word, and performance art hosted by Ramapo College’s Berrie Center. On September 19 at 8:00, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company of Fort Lee will perform Ripple Effect, Desk and I, Phase II, Emissary of Light, and Tomorrow, along with poet Marina Carreira of Union and performance artist Christy E. O’Connor of Middletown. The lineup for September 26 features Mignolo Dance of Metuchen, spoken word artist Dimitri Reyes of Kearny, and the Moving Architects of Montclair. Each evening will conclude with a live Q&A with the artists, moderated by Berrie Center director Lisa Campbell. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted for the Contemporary Arts Fund or the Covid-19 Student Emergency Fund through the Ramapo Foundation.