Contemporary Dance: David Dorfman, Soles of Duende, and Joffrey Concert Group
The renowned David Dorfman Dance closes the second Contemporary Dance, alongside percussive dance ensemble Soles of Duende.
Curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher
For almost 40 years, David Dorfman Dance (DDD) has created movement that seeks to de-stigmatize the notion of accessibility and interaction in post-modern dance by embracing audiences with visceral, meaningful dance, music and text. By sustaining a vision to create innovative, inclusive, movement-based performance that is radically humanistic, DDD maintains a core commitment to examine and unearth issues and ideas that enliven, incite, and excite audiences in dialogue and debate about social change and a myriad of other topics. In advocating his mission “to get the whole world dancing,” Dorfman’s work has enjoyed broad and diverse audiences nationally and internationally. DDD has performed extensively throughout the world and has regularly performed in New York City at major venues including The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), The Joyce Theater, The Kitchen, Danspace Project/St. Mark’s Church, La Mama Theater, and more.
A Brooklyn-born Puerto-Rican from New Haven, a Mexican Puerto-Rican Jew from the Lower East Side, and a Bengali Indian from Jersey walked on to the wooden floor & the rest? History. Bonded by their deep love of music, their crafts, and true connection, Soles of Duende is on a lifelong mission to elevate the joy and music of true collaboration across disciplines and the celebration of the forms they practice. Based in the sounds of Tap (Amanda Castro), Flamenco (Arielle Rosales) and Kathak (Brinda Guha), Soles of Duende’s fire is the spirit that lives within each of these women to celebrate their connection given their beautiful differences and to uplift the forms that made them.
Founded by Robert Joffrey in 1981, and currently under the direction of Bradley Shelver, The Joffrey Concert Group is the pre-professional repertory ensemble that provides selected artists from Joffrey Ballet School's year-round Trainee Program the opportunity to experience life as a professional dancer. In the years since its inception, the dancers have toured domestically and internationally, performing the celebrated classical and contemporary repertoire of Gerald Arpino, Robert Battle, George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Dwight Rohden, and Africa Guzman among others. The Joffrey Concert Group is the company in residence of the Joffrey Ballet Center. The Concert Group connects communities in and around the tri-state area by engaging in outreach initiatives, masterclasses through the annual ICONS Dance Festival, and lecture demonstrations. The Concert Group supports up-and-coming ballet and contemporary choreographers through the annual Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative, providing them valuable time and resources to develop a new original ensemble work for the company. Aspiring professional dancers have the opportunity to develop relationships with various choreographers and hone their artistic capabilities.
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.
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.
