From Clark Center's Post Wishing the best to us all as we find our special light. The other side is near and will be clear.
LET'S CHOREOGRAPH WHAT OUR TOGETHER WILL BE!
LET'S CHOREOGRAPH WHAT OUR TOGETHER WILL BE!
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From Clark Center's Post
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NYC ARTISTS TEAM UP TO CREATE THE TRICKLE UP (A NYC ARTISTS NETWORK), COUNTERACTING THE LOSS OF INCOME IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
NYC Artists Help Their Peers Living Below the Poverty Line by Sharing Videos on New Subscription-Based Site Taylor Mac, Kristin Marting, Morgan Jenness, Emily Morse, Niegel Smith, and a group of over 50 other New York City artists—including Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize, MacArthur Fellowship and OBIE Award winners spanning numerous disciplines—have hatched a plan to help artists hurt from the COVID-19 shutdown. Inspired by the artists-on-behalf-of-artists activism of Elizabeth Swados, they have made a new grassroots subscription video platform, The Trickle Up (A NYC Artists Network). As members of the performing arts community struggle to maintain their livelihoods amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, The Trickle Up enlists New York artists in helping other New York artists living below the poverty line, who are suffering from lost income, by sharing work on the platform. The Trickle Up aims to engage 10,000 subscribers paying $10 a month—and thereby get $10,000 each to 120 different artists in need (starting ASAP, and through the year). If this goal is surpassed, more people get help. The Trickle Up, a model for how a streaming arts platform can reshape artists’ lives, seeks to continue supporting artists well beyond the fallout of COVID-19. The site launches today, Monday, March 23, with videos streaming at https://trickleup.uscreen.io/. 50 artists have already signed on to donate their time and creativity to make three videos each for the platform. They include: Penny Arcade (performance artist), Annie Baker (playwright), Sharon Bridgforth (playwright/poet), Rachel Chavkin (theatre-maker), Lisa D’Amour (playwright), Helga Davis (performer), Machine Dazzle (designer), Lear DeBessonett (theatre-maker), Ty Dafoe (actor), Andre De Shields (performer), Viva DeConcini (musician), Kristoffer Diaz (playwright), Faye Driscoll (choreographer), Anastasia Durasova (makeup designer), Bridget Everett (comedienne/singer), Greg Glassman (musician), Lucas Hnath (playwright), Marika Hughes (musician), Mia Katigbak (theatre-maker), Lisa Kron (playwright), Jeyn Levison and Joshua Waletzky (Yiddish culturalists), Bianca Leigh (actress), Dana Lyn (musician), Taylor Mac (theatre-maker), Ellen Maddow (theatre-maker) , Kristin Marting (theatre-maker), Dirty Martini (burlesque performer), Dominique Morisseau (performer/playwright), Miguel Gutierrez (choreographer), Lynn Nottage (playwright), Diana Oh (playwright/ performer), Suzan-Lori Parks (playwright/musician), Annie-B Parson (choreographer/theatre-maker), Clint Ramos (designer), Sarah Ruhl (playwright/poet), Peggy Shaw (theatre maker), Sxip Shirey (composer/musician), Niegel Smith (theatre maker), Lloyd Suh (playwright), Darrel Thorne (designer/club performer), Tigger! (actor/burlesque performer), Liesl Tommy (director), Adrienne Truscott (performance artist), Basil Twist (puppeteer), Paula Vogel (playwright), Ann Washburn (playwright), Lois Weaver (theatre-maker), Weirdos.TV (performance artist), and Paul Zimet (theatre-maker). These donating artists, and any others who join in the cause in the future, will select recipients of the $10,000 commissions. In addition to these artists, 20 promotional partners have joined the cause: Brooklyn Arts Council, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Beth Morrison Projects, Clubbed Thumb, The Flea Theater, HERE Arts Center, HowlRound, The Lark, Ma-Yi Theater Company, MAP Fund, NAATCO, New Dramatists, New Georges, New Ohio Theatre, On the Boards, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, Peoplmovr, The Play Company, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and Times Square Arts. An openness and flair for casual invention characterizes the videos the organizers have called for, with the option for artists to use a smartphone to film anything including readings of portions cut from a play; displays of new designs; performances of new songs or dances; or of any of the presumably many things that recently got canceled amidst this crisis. Taylor Mac has recorded, in many sections, footage of judy sitting on a rock, reading judy’s recent Tony-nominated play Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus. Mac explains, “The Trickle Up is a network where you would see stuff you would never otherwise get to see. When else are you going to see the playwright read their entire play?” The artists aim to begin the project as a grassroots effort among New York artists—who themselves represent various corners of the country and world—and see if and how it might expand to artists elsewhere from there. Mac says, “I was at a theater and overheard somebody in the lobby say that yesterday she had three jobs and today she had zero jobs. This was a person living week-to-week already, and on my way home, I thought, ‘how is she going to survive, and what can we do to help someone in this position?’ As so many of us are people who currently or historically have lived below the poverty line, we know how hard it is to do basic things like buy groceries, and also we know how much a big lump sum like $10,000 can change your life. My first grant was $7,000 from the Peter S. Reed Foundation and was thanks to another artist, Elizabeth Swados, putting my name on the list of recipients. At the time I had no money and was racing to pay basic necessities. Getting that grant changed everything. Our hope is that we can do the same for an unprecedented number of artists. Both in this time of heightened need and moving forward. Every year.”  Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, and out of consideration for the health of our audiences, staff, and artists, DanceAfrica on May 22—25 has been canceled.
DanceAfrica is one of the most beloved programs at BAM, and we are deeply saddened to cancel this festival for the first time in its 42 years of existence. We are grateful for the hard work and contributions of Artistic Director Abdel R. Salaam and all of our program partners: the Council of Elders, the Candle Bearers, RestorationArt, Weeksville Heritage Center, DanceAfrica Bazaar vendors, and Mark Morris Dance Group. We look forward to working together again to present DanceAfrica next year, at a time when the community can come together safely. A Message from Artistic Director Abdel R. Salaam Peace and Blessings Family, DanceAfrica is not just a festival or an annual event. It is a timeless, fantastic voyage of culture and creativity. It is a consciousness centered in the voices, visions, and inspiration of our ancestors, the people of Africa and the African diaspora. While its crown of expression has always been at BAM, the spirit of DanceAfrica has no boundaries, and will always find its way to the people. Today there are countless workshops and African dance and music classes being taught online by devotees. The absence of this year’s festival is simply a pause that, if seen through a different lens, will enable us as a family to move through this moment of darkness, regenerate, and rise again next year. The best is yet to come! Health, prosperity, peace, and blessings to you and your loved ones, Baba Abdel R. Salaam  Gibney welcomes Alexandra Wells as Senior Director of Training and Company Advisor, effective July 1, 2020.
In this newly created position, Ms. Wells will oversee Gibney’s extensive training programs, which serve approximately 50,000 participants and dozens of community groups annually. She will also conduct research into advanced methods and models for meeting the unique training needs of today’s contemporary dancers. “We are thrilled to welcome Alexandra to Gibney. Her dynamic and forward-reaching approach to training and the breadth and depth of her experience will benefit our community of artists at all levels,” said Gina Gibney, Founder CEO, and Artistic Director of Gibney. ”We embrace Alexandra’s dedication to advance the technique, artistry, and physical health of our dance community.” Apollo Theater Launches Major Commissioning Initiative Dedicated to the Creation of a Diverse 21st Century Performing Arts Canon
$2 Million from the Ford Foundation and $1 Million from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Provide Founding Support for Apollo New Works for the Development and Presentation of World Premieres by Camille A. Brown, Stefon Harris, Jon Boogz and Lil Buck, Ebony Noelle Golden, Ballet Hispánico, Daniel Bernard Roumain & BANDALOOP, Black Gotham Experience, Soul Science Lab, The New Black Fest, and Talvin Wilks The Apollo Theater announced today its first multi-work commissioning initiative dedicated to the creation of a diverse, 21st century American performing arts canon, Apollo New Works. Made possible with the support of a $2 million grant from the Ford Foundation for the creation of new work by artists of color, the initiative is also funded by a $1 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for the Apollo’s Master Artist in Residency, a central component of the program. Apollo New Works extends the non-profit Apollo Theater’s commitment to the articulation and projection of the African American and African diasporic narrative. Many of the works will premiere at the Apollo’s new theaters at the Victoria, scheduled to open in fall 2020. Apollo New Works will provide audience access to some of the commissions while in process and allow artists to respond to and be inspired by Harlem, the Apollo Theater, and its communities. “Thanks to the generous support of the Ford Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Apollo New Works expands our commitment to collaboration with established and emerging artists of color whose work is essential to the Apollo, Harlem, and the world,” said Kamilah Forbes, Apollo Theater Executive Producer. “Artists reflect the celebrations and challenges of society, and our goal for this initiative is to champion a group of voices and promote a new generation of storytellers in an effort to develop a more diverse American canon.” Read more here  Annique Roberts of Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE Photo: Julieta Cervantes Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE
The Joyce Theater February 25-March 1 ––celebrates its 35th anniversary with the return of seminal works “High Life” (2000) and “Grace” (1999/2004), plus the newly commissioned “Mercy,” featuring original music by Meshell Ndegeocello, all works exemplify Brown’s contemporary African style. Find out more here Okwui Okpokwasili & Peter Born Danspace Project February 28 - March 21 Brooklyn-based writer, performer and choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili partners with Judy Hussie-Taylor, Danspace Executive Director & Chief Curator, in “PLATFORM 2020: Utterances from the Chorus.” The list of participants and events are numerous, so be sure to check Danspace’s website. Okpokwasili and Born’s durational practice, Sitting On a Man's Head, will have its New York City premiere and will be the focal point of the Platform. This is “A space of restoration and restitution is our concern,” writes Okpokwasili and Born. “We are engaged in a creative practice concerned with the formation of new bonds of kinship around essential questions,” Okpokwasili and Hussie-Taylor used these ideas as a point of departure for the Platform’s curatorial inquiries, conversations, and programs. Find out more here NYTB/Chamber Works Florence Gould Hall February 29 & March 1 Founder and Artistic Director Diana Byer brings Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty for the Company's "Once Upon a Ballet Series" (suitable for ages 3+). Find out more here The Clive Barnes Foundation announced the finalists and date for the 10th Annual Clive Barnes Awards. Hosted by New York Post columnist and WOR radio personality Michael Riedel, the presentation of the annual awards recognizing excellence in theater and dance will take place on Monday, April 6, 2020 at 3:00pm at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center (165 West 65th Street), in memory of founder Valerie Taylor-Barnes.
In this year’s Theater Artist Award category, three of the four finalists made their Broadway debuts this season in roles that led to their nomination: Andrew Burnap, for his portrayal of Toby Darling in Matthew Lopez’s contemporary gay epic The Inheritance; Celia Rose Gooding as adopted daughter Frankie Healy in the Alanis Morissette musical Jagged Little Pill; and Christopher Livingston in the dual roles of James Bevel/Jimmie Lee Jackson in Lincoln Center Theater’s The Great Society. Mr. Livingston is also recognized for his work in Roundabout Underground’s production of Selina Fillinger’s Something Clean. Sophia Anne Caruso, who recently starred in Beetlejuice as Lydia, the young girl who summons the title demon, rounds out the quartet of Theater Artist finalists. Park Avenue Armory, with lead partner National Black Theatre, have announced the lead group of artists they and a cohort of nine additional New York City-based cultural institutions have commissioned as part of 100 Years | 100 Women , a two-part, multidisciplinary initiative marking the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. This group of artists—who self-identify as women or gender non-binary and whose work spans visual arts, music, dance, film, photography, and performance—will create new projects that respond to this anniversary, reflecting on issues including womanhood, citizenship, feminism, and intersectionality. Commissioned artists include: Sama Alshaibi, Murielle Borst-Tarrant/Safe Harbors Indigenous Collective, Zoë Buckman, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, Karen Finley, Ebony Noelle Golden, Chanon Judson, L’Rain, Shola Lynch, Meshell Ndegeocello, Toshi Reagon, Jaime Sunwoo, Sahar Ullah, Carrie Mae Weems, Deborah Willis, and many more.
Read more here  BAC Space, running March 16 through April 11, announced the 2020 space grant residents: New York City-based artists Justin Hicks and Steffani Jemison (Music / Multimedia), Kayla Farrish (Dance), Lori Belilove (Dance), and Yin Mei (Performance Art); Milka Djordjevich (Dance) from Los Angeles; and Mithkal Alzghair (Dance) from Paris, France. Audiences are invited to observe these artists’ works-in-progress during a series of public BAC Space Studio Showings at BAC (450 West 37th Street) on April 10. The schedule will be announced and free reservations made available by March 30 at bacnyc.org. Find out more here. Read the press release below:  H.T.CHEN & DANCERS
Latest News & Events URGENT MESSAGE Thank you all for your concern. On the eve of January 23, 2020 a 3-alarm fire, which escalated to 5-alarm, tore through 70 Mulberry Street, home to Chen Dance Center. The top half of the building collapsed and the remainder is water and smoke damaged. The historic building, formerly PS 23, is home to numerous cultural and social service organizations including ours, Chen Dance Center. All of our on-site programs have been put on hold until we are able to build next steps. For over 40 years, Chen Dance has been dedicated to serving the Asian-American and dance communities through arts education. At a time like this, we ask for your help to get back on our feet. Please help us spread the word by sharing this with your community. For those able to help us at this difficult time, your support is greatly appreciated. We are only reachable by email if you need to contact us, we do not have access to our telephone lines. |
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AuthorI am a performer, historian, consultant and dance writer. I am a Empire State College's online program Center for Distance Learning. I am also a former faculty member at The Ailey School and the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University dance major program, Hunter College, Sarah Lawrence College (Guest), Kean University and The Joffrey Ballet School's Jazz and Contemporary Trainee Program. I write on dance for The Amsterdam News, Dance Magazine and various publications. Click below to read more about me at my home page - "About Me." |
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