Limón Dance Company headlines the first evening of Contemporary Dance.
Curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher.
Limón Dance Company
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)
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.
KAŌS Dance Company
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.
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.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.
