New York Live Arts To Present North American Premiere Of THE GRAVE’S TEARS

New York Live Arts will present the North American premiere of The Grave’s Tears by Roderick George, performing under his collective kNoname Artist. The three-performance engagement will take place February 12–14, 2026, at New York Live Arts, located at 219 West 19th Street in Manhattan. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with a Stay Late Conversation with the artist following the Friday, February 13 performance.

The Grave’s Tears is a full-length choreographic work that expands on themes first explored in George’s Venom (2024), examining the enduring emotional, cultural, and psychological impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the continued marginalization of LGBTQIA+ communities. Originally developed with seven male dancers, the work centers queer bodies as vessels of memory, holding grief, resistance, intimacy, and survival in shared physical space. Drawing on the social and cultural legacy of the Disco era, the piece reflects on joy, music, and collective movement as acts of defiance and survival during a period of widespread alienation and institutional neglect.

Set against the backdrop of governmental and social abandonment during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, the work considers how queer communities forged systems of care through chosen family, physical closeness, and mutual support. Through skeletal and restrained physical language, The Grave’s Tears operates as both mourning and resistance, honoring lives lost while affirming the continued power of remembrance, intimacy, and joy.

The work features artistic direction and choreography by Roderick George and is performed by MJ Edwards, Peter Mazurowski, Dimitris Michailidis, Zack Sommer, Alex Soulliere, Jonathan Wade, and George himself. Sound design is by Jace Clayton, with lighting design by Tanja Rühl and associate lighting design and production management by Connor Sales. The creative team also includes company manager Amber Lee Parker, rehearsal director Daniel Harder, and costuming by Lauren Carmen.

Founded in Berlin in 2015 and now based in New York City, kNoname Artist is a contemporary dance collective created by George that uses movement as a form of protest, healing, and communal reflection. The company operates through a project-based model that prioritizes collaboration and shared authorship while engaging themes of colorism, class, systemic inequity, and historical erasure. kNoname Artist has been presented internationally by institutions and festivals including Jacob’s Pillow, New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival, New York Live Arts, Suzanne Dellal, Zurich Tanzhaus, Sophiensæle Festspiele, Pavilion Noir | Ballet Preljocaj, Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Pocantico Art Center, HarlemStage, Guild Hall, and Fall for Dance North / NIGHTSHIFT.

The Grave’s Tears was developed in part through the Guild Hall William P. Rayner Artist-in-Residence program, with support from New York Live Arts, Williams College, and the Schwarzman Center at Yale University, and additional residency support from La Villette in Paris. The project has also received support from the National Performance Network Creation & Development Fund, New England Foundation for the Arts, Princess Grace Foundation, and Arison Arts Foundation.