Dearests near and far -
I am thrilled to tell you that I have been cooking up a new initiative in partnership with Gibney Dance Center and today we are announcing it.
Welcome to LANDING.
LANDING is an experiment in transition, pedagogy, research, mentorship, and possibility.Over the course of six intensive sessions over six months, a selected group of dance artists will meet with each other and a variety of extraordinary guest artists in the context of workshops, artist talks, studio visits, studio time, performances, and public presentation. The goal is to create a network of experiences that address and support the interests and challenges that face dance artists newly arrived to New York.
The various emphases of LANDING are creating community; valuing experimentation in the creative process; making a space for critical inquiry; listening to how other people in the dance and performance community are making it work; generating practical and administrative skills in order to survive financially; and activating a conversation about the cultural, social, and political value of dance and performance work in today’s world.
How did this come about?
I was approached a few months ago by Gibney about developing a new pedagogical format. Immediately I started thinking about all of the incredible young artists who I've met over the last few years in New York and about how challenging it is for them to survive and thrive in today's economic climate and how tricky it can be to identify and navigate the breadth of choices available to them.
I started wondering if there was a way to create an ongoing context where the learning is horizontal rather than hierarchical, while at the same time drawing on the extraordinary community of performing artists who live and work in New York. One of my greatest joys is to connect people with each other and to the artists whose work inspire them. My hope is that LANDING will serve as both an anchor and a launching pad for dance and performance artists in NYC, to clarify what the value of living here is now, to rely on each other and to invent the world they want. I will attempt to moderate, mediate, instigate and get the fuck out of the way.
Confirmed guest artists and speakers include luciana achugar, Justin Vivian Bond, Michelle Boulé, Camille Brown, Ralph Lemon, Juliana May, Ben Pryor, and Colin Self!
The call for applications is now open and the deadline to apply is July 31st. The program is designed for folks who are in their first 3 to 5 years in NYC or those who feel that they could benefit from this kind of community education model at this point in their practice.
Please spread the word far and wide to whomever you think would be interested. More info is here.
I am excited about this experiment. Thanks so much!
xo
Miguel