Danse Lumiere to Present A POP-UP BALLET IN HELL’S KITCHEN

Danse Lumiere will present A Pop-Up Ballet in Hell’s Kitchen, a one-day-only performance on Sunday, October 19 at 4 PM at Ailey Studios (405 West 55th Street, NYC).

This intimate salon-style event will merge original choreography, short films, and live performances from members of New York City Ballet, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience new and experimental work in an immersive setting.

Curated by Kathryn Roszak, Founding Artistic Director of Danse Lumiere, the program will showcase the company’s distinctive fusion of literature, narrative, and movement. “It's important to me as a creator and presenter that audiences experience the page on the stage in a way that enhances the original material, opens minds, and crosses genres,” said Roszak, who recently relocated to New York City from San Francisco.

The performance will feature Laine Habony of New York City Ballet, who will both perform and present her choreography in Nocturne and other recent works developed with PointeWorks and Revolve Dance. Roszak will offer choreographic interpretations of literary works by Isabel Allende and Jane Austen, the latter celebrating the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth. Guest dancers Victor Abreu and Alexa Maxwell, also of New York City Ballet, will appear in new and reimagined works exploring contemporary narrative ballet.

In addition to live dance, the program will include two short films by Roszak and her collaborators that extend the dialogue between dance and cinema. Music for the event will feature compositions by Katie Jenkins (Juilliard faculty), Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Mads Tolling, weaving classical and contemporary soundscapes throughout the evening.

A pioneer in combining literature, film, and dance, Kathryn Roszak has presented her work at the Martha Graham Studio Series, San Francisco Symphony, Diablo Ballet, and Scandinavia House NYC. Her films have been featured at festivals and venues across the country, including the Pacific Film Archive, Women in Dance Film Festival, and the Seattle Film Festival.

Founded in 1995, Danse Lumiere (“Dance of Light”) is known for its literary and cinematic approach to ballet. Originally based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company has collaborated with authors including Isabel Allende, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Gary Snyder, creating work that bridges storytelling, movement, and social reflection.