Review: STAY: AN ORIGINAL DANCE PLAY BY ISAIAH SILVIA-CHANDLEY at Arts On Site

Photo Credit: Isaiah Silvia-Chandley. Note: Photographs from this production will be captured at a later performance date and will be added here when available.

Presented in the intimate black box space at Arts on Site, STAY is a strikingly personal and immersive dance play conceived, directed, and choreographed by Isaiah Silvia-Chandley. The show draws from Silvia-Chandley’s own journey: the road from artistic disconnection to rediscovery of a love for dance through New York City's vibrant nightlife scene.  STAY perfectly captures the freedom, community, and electricity dancing provides us, and ultimately reminds us why we return to dance, over and over again.

In STAY, Silvia-Chandley serves the audience a pulsating choreographic feast. In the first few minutes of the production, the cast seamlessly glides from classic jazz to contemporary to ballet to vogue movement (the first of many styles to come). Silvia-Chandley is a multidisciplinary choreographer who excels in telling stories through a balanced melange of technical precision, dynamic movement, and thoughtful world building. 

From the moment audiences enter the space, a “bouncer” greets you to adorn you with a neon green wristband to enter the “club,” while pulsating music fills the space. As you make your way to your seat, you are presented with an array of cleverly designed programs with several unique covers, evoking a limited-edition EP energy. At this moment, you feel Silvia-Chandley has extended a VIP invitation to you to enter the lived experience of STAY.

The red rope has been lifted, and you are cleared to enter. 

Company Credits
STAY: An Original Dance Play

Conception, Direction, and Choreography: Isaiah Silvia-Chandley
Associate Choreographer: TJ Tapp
Music Composition: Dante Haruna and Isaiah Silvia-Chandley

Dancers: Joseph Aued, Erica Simone Barnett, Valentina Guedez Delgado, Khalid Dunton, Michael Samarie George, Cam Gradel, Isaiah Hastings-Rogers, Grayson Kelsh, Christian Kidd, Joey Kummert, Amber Tiara Jackson, Julie Mato, Dylin McCarthy, Ravyn Rhiana, Sashalie Rios, Omari Simmons, Kyra Sorce, Palma Tejada, Tyler Zydel

At the heart of STAY lies a clear and compelling artistic ethos: dance belongs to everyone. Silvia-Chandley’s work resists the rigidity and exclusivity often associated with traditional dance spaces, and instead champions the freedom, individuality, and communal spirit found in social dance spaces. STAY honors dance as a vehicle for expression, connection, and celebration. 

STAY opens with a clever nod to A Chorus Line, with a remix of “I Hope I Get It” the production launches into a reimagined “5, 6, 7, 8” sequence. Here, the audience is placed in a familiar audition setting, complete with dancers executing synchronized combinations under the watchful eye of an instructor. Yet, in the corner stands our protagonist, disconnected and uncertain. The choreography in this section is sharp, technical, and uniform, emphasizing precision and conformity, while the protagonist’s hesitant physicality underscores a sense of alienation. It is an incisive commentary on the exclusivity that can permeate professional dance spaces.

As the scene fractures, the work shifts into a solo that becomes the emotional backbone of the piece. Set to a layered soundscape that blends introspective lyrics (“What does it feel like when you’re dancing?”) with pulsing pop influences (Icona Pop’s “I Love It” blares “I don’t care - I love it!” in response), the protagonist moves through cycles of falling and rising. The choreography here is visceral, embodying the push and pull of loving something that no longer feels accessible. Silvia-Chandley’s movement language shines in these moments, capturing the internal struggle of a creative searching for purpose and place.

The energy lifts as the narrative transitions into a pregame setting, the protagonists’ friends want to head out to the club and begin drinking, taking photos, getting ready, and confidently strutting downstage - voguing as an all mighty unit.  

Surrounded by friends, the protagonist begins to rediscover joy through communal movement. What follows is a seamless progression into the club environment. Outside, dancers in bold, expressive attire gather, queuing up to get into the club. Once we move inside the “club,” the dancers welcome our protagonist in pairs, paying homage to social dance styles over the years. From ballroom-inspired partnering reminiscent of period drama elegance to salsa, swing, and Charleston influences, the choreography celebrates a lineage of social dance traditions that have built community and shaped identity.  

The club sequence builds into a high-octane exploration of contemporary nightlife and dance styles that often are only experienced in a club atmosphere. Go-go (Kyra Sorce) and burlesque (Cinna Marie) icons take center stage adorned with illuminated hand fans and tassels, with dancers in the round executing athletic, sensual, and uninhibited movement that feels both raw and theatrical. Dancers begin to interact, flirt, and pass through the space, blending pedestrian gestures with stylized sensual movement.  The balance of theatricality and authentic realism is one of the production’s greatest strengths.

A standout choreographic moment arrives in a tightly synchronized floor sequence, where the ensemble creates a dynamic, rotating twerk visual that is as technically impressive as it is exhilarating. The lighting design, anchored by a single disco ball and punctuated by strobe effects, enhances the sense of immersion.

As the night deepens in the “club,” the choreography takes on a zombie-like quality. Dancers move in trance-like pulses, contorting into geometric and angled patterns, capturing that fleeting moment when music, body, and environment align completely. 

Then, the audience arrives to the climax of the evening: the dance-off.  The sea of dancers parts and it is the protagonist versus the attractive club patron. The sequence, underscored by a remix of Lady Gaga’s “LoveGame,” electrifies the room. Dancers face off in alternating solos and group exchanges, showcasing individuality while feeding off collective energy. 

Suddenly, the dancers disappear, and we’re left with our protagonist and the dance competitor who now becomes the protaganist's dance partner in a tender duet. The choreography softens into fluid lifts, spins, and shared weight. The gentle moment lands with unexpected humor when a simple question from our beloved protagonist breaks the illusion: “What’s your name?” reminding us of the ephemeral intimacy that defines many encounters on the dance floor. 

The scene perfectly captures how the anonymity of the nightlife scene creates a safe space for individuals to express and explore their own dance movement and creativity.  In fact, for most who are not professional dancers, the “club” may be the only space where one feels comfortable dancing in public in a shared space with others. STAY reminds us that those spaces, are sacred spaces. 

The ensemble delivers with remarkable vibrancy, athleticism, character, and versatility. Moving effortlessly between technical precision and joyful eruption, the dancers embody the pulsating energy of New York City night life. 

STAY is a deeply felt exploration of why we move and what it means to find ourselves in that movement. It captures the vulnerability, exhilaration, and fleeting connections that define a night out, while grounding those experiences in a larger conversation about artistry and identity. Silvia-Chandley has crafted a work that resonates far beyond the stage, reminding audiences that sometimes the most profound creative awakenings happen not in studios, but in the spaces where we feel most free.  

There’s an old adage “don’t fall in love in the club." However, in this case, there’s an exception: it’s more than ok (and in fact, encouraged) to fall back in love with the art of dance.