Contemporary Dance: Limón Dance Company, EMERGE125, KAŌS Dance Collective

The Limón Dance Company (LDC) has been at the vanguard of dance since its inception in 1946. The first dance group to tour internationally under the auspices of the State Department, and first modern dance company to perform at Lincoln Center in New York, it has performed twice at The White House. The José Limón Dance Foundation, with Company and Institute, is the recipient of a 2008 National Medal of the Arts. José Limón has a special place in American culture for a social awareness that transcended distinct groups to address how we all search for commonality. It is with this ethos that we continue to commission works by critically acclaimed and emerging international voices 50 years after Limón’s passing. His works continue to influence the evolution of the art form with their arresting visual clarity, theatricality, and rhythmic and musical life.

The Quake that Held Them All 
Choreography: Kayla Farrish (2024)
Composer: Alex MacKinnon
Music: Alex MacKinnon (Drums, Percussion, Bass, Guitar, Synthesizer); Jonathan Saraga (Trumpet); Zach Koeber (Tenor Saxophone); John Feliciano (Bass).
Costume Design: Márion Talán de la Rosa
Lighting Design: Katie Whittemore
Dancers: Natalie Clevenger, Ian Debono, MJ Edwards, Mariah Gravelin, Johnson Guo, David Keingatti, Deepa Liegel, Olivia Mozie, Ty Morrison, Jessica Sgambelluri, Savannah Spratt and LaurenTwomley.
Co-commissioning support from American Dance Festival and early residency support was provided by Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music and Kaatsbaan Cultural Park. Additional support is provided by New York State Council on the Arts.

2022 Bessie awardee Kayla Farrish, examined two of Limón’s works built on the same theme - Redes (Nets), created in 1951 as a representation of collective work and unity, and El Grito (The Scream), a re-visiting choreographed in 1952 as an awakening of consciousness, creative force and freedom. Farrish is a powerful new voice in the field. Her multi-disciplinary work has been recognized by Sundance, the New York Times, and the Harkness Promise Award. With roots as an African American woman from the south, Farrish’s work is deeply connected to the displacement of colored bodies and a continuous seeking for identity and community - themes Limón was exploring 70+ years ago. 

Farrish’s commission speaks to this conversation, using archival photos and writings to examine these two lost Limón works which explored his identity as an artist of color. Working with only archival photos and writings, Farrish is creating a new work on the Limón Dance Company which comments on these themes and shares her perspective on a community working in unity towards freedom and awakening the collective consciousness – creating a conversation between Limón and a contemporary female artist of color.

"This work peers into and honors traditions, rituals, and stories of lineage among communities of radical care and expression. Dreaming of the migrants’ stories, the “migrant hero” journey transposed into the carriage of the guitar and the drum. This reflected the pulse, transforming into the blues and the “corridos” singing their narratives across landscapes to one another. I pull from imagining these communities who have held onto one another, taking care of another, and pushed for transformation and revolution together. What is the breath and space where we can release, feel, and create change?  This work honors avante-garde jazz, Mexican Muralism, and fully felt humanity in us all." - Kayla Farrish 

This work has co-commissioning support from American Dance Festival and early residency support was provided by Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music and Kaatsbaan Cultural Park.  Additional support is provided by New York State Council on the Arts.

Premiered on November 5, 2024 at The Joyce Theater in New York, NY.

EMERGE125 is a Black female-led dance company that expands the reach and impact of dance through creation, performance, and education. Through a body of expressive, athletic modern dance work, EMERGE125 explores social dynamics and personal identity, illuminates and challenges systemic inequities, and inspires reflection and connection. We believe that dance can serve as a uniting force across differences in age, race, class, and more. EMERGE125 has been led by celebrated choreographer Tiffany Rea-Fisher since 2017. Based in Harlem, EMERGE125 also has a strong presence in the Adirondacks, tours nationwide, and shares virtual content globally.

For Joy
Choreography: Tiffany Rea-Fisher
Music: For Joy by Frederick Kennedy
Costumes: Rachel Dozier-Ezell

What happens when you have nothing left? When the goalposts keep shifting and the ground beneath you refuses to hold firm? For Joy is a reimagining of a previous work, now with an original score by Fred Kennedy, and new original costumes by Rachel Dozier-Ezell we explore resilience and joy—not as a shallow act of optimism but as a radical choice. In a world that can feel relentless, how do we hold on to joy as a form of grounding, a tool of resistance, and a path forward?

Heart of Glass
Choreography: Tiffany Rea-Fisher
Music: Four Pianos by Joshua Winstead; How Now performed by Alter Ego, music by Philip Glass; Heart of Glass (Crabtree Remix) by Blondie & Philip Glass.
Costumes:Rachel Dozier-Ezell

A longtime favorite in our repertory, Heart of Glass is a visually epic, emotionally charged centerpiece. In past seasons, this piece wove together excerpts from various works, creating a collage of movement. This year, we take a different approach—expanding each solo, duet, and trio so the audience can experience the depth of every moment before witnessing the work in its full totality. The result is a crescendo of energy, a layered journey that builds toward an explosive, exhilarating finish.

To The Root
Choreography: Tiffany Rea-Fisher
Music: Ko and Legendary by Nu Alkemi$t; Search And Destroy by Wicked Cinema
Costumes: Rachel Dozier-Ezell

This full-company premiere is an exploration of unity, tension, and release. Created as a tribute to Kevin Wynn, eight dancers move in strict unison, pushing the limits of physicality, connection, and support through intricate partnering. At its core, the work is built around a duet–two dancers breaking away from the group before being drawn back in. What does it mean to hold space for intimacy within a collective? How do we create a container where tension builds, releases, and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats? This piece invites you into a world of shifting dynamics, where individuality and community constantly negotiate their place. New original costumes by Rachel Dozier-Ezell.

KAŌS is a growing collective of artists creating immersive, mixed media performances that make dance more accessible, relatable, and engaging for wider audiences founded by Nikaio Bulan Sahar Thomashow.

Nikaio Bulan Sahar Thomashow (they/he) is a mixed Jewish and Filipino-American dancer, composer, choreographer, and educator originally from the Adirondacks in Northern NY.  Nikaio graduated from Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences in 2018 with a degree in dance. Their thesis on performative identities explored the bounds of how bodies are affected by a person’s history and how this can influence the quality and production of movement.  Nikaio has worked with companies such as Rebecca Kelly Ballet (NYC), Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (Montréal), Neos Dance Theatre (Ohio), and Daloy Dance Company (Philippines).  They have taught for a number of schools in Northern NY and Vermont, including the Lake Placid School of Dance, and they are a current teaching artist for the Misty Copeland Foundation as part of the inaugural cohort for BE BOLD. In 2024, Nikaio was given the Jadin Wong Artist of Exceptional Merit award by the Asian American Arts Alliance.

KAŌS has presented works for organizations such as NYS DanceForce, the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Movement Research at the Judson Memorial Church, and Historic Saranac Lake. They have held residency at TOPAZ ARTS as the AAPI Artist in Residency and at Green Space as a member of the 2022-2023 D.I.G. cohort.

As the Roots Undo
Choreography by Nikaio Bulan Sahar Thomashow and KAŌS Dance Collective.
Music by Circle Takes the Square.
Dancers: Davinara Marcario, Johnny Mathews III, Micaelina Carter, Nikaio Thomashow, and Rileigh Timmerman.

As the Roots Undo is a collaborative work that centers around adaptation as a means of survival and the exhaustion that comes with it. It is a snapshot depicting the feeling of living through each seemingly identical day - understanding the necessity of adaptation in order to survive as you distance yourself from the version of you that existed before. The dancers see that they’re not alone and find strength in collective perseverance.

Without Holding, but Protecting
Choreography by Nikaio Bulan Sahar Thomashow and KAŌS Dance Collective.
Music by Johnny Mathews III and Nikaio Bulan Sahar Thomashow.
Dancers: Araya Morris, Cam Surh, Erik Penrod Osterkil, Johnny Mathews III, Lerato Ragontse, Micaelina Carter, Nikaio Thomashow, Rileigh Timmerman, and Shizu Higa.

Without Holding, but Protecting is a response to the special kind of grieving that accompanies the loss of futures that will never be.

Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first-come, first-served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs. 

Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere in the park except for the center lawn "blanket zone". 

Bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn. Attendees can enjoy cuisine from the five boroughs with a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors curated by Hester Street Fair.

Stout NYC also offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn and other light bites as well as a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase.

Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more!

Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events. 

Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.

Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc on Twitter and Instagram for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.