STORIES OF WAR to Open at John Jay College
Choreographed by Iraq War veteran Román Baca, the production will include spoken word, dance pieces, and an audience talkback at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater.
The CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI), an expansive program providing New York City choreographers and dance companies with creative residencies on CUNY college campuses, has announced Stories of War in Honor of Veterans Day by Exit12 Dance Company at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 W. 59thStreet, New York, NY 10019) on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 7:00PM. General admission is $30, with Veterans and CUNY student tickets available for $5. To purchase, visit here.
Co-founded by Iraq War veteran and choreographer Román Baca, Exit12 Dance Company began in 2007 as a way for him to process his military experience through dance. As a ballet dancer turned Marine, choreography became a means of healing-an expressive outlet to explore and share the invisible wounds of war.
Exit12's full-length performance at John Jay College, Stories of War in Honor of Veterans Day, weaves together veteran storytelling with concert dance. The program takes the audience through the military experience, exploring war, the effects on family, homecoming, reintegration, and hope for the future. It will include a new piece developed with the John Jay College Veteran community - the College enrolls the most military-related students in the City University of New York system - and conclude with an audience talkback.
PROGRAM
Oh Baca - Román Baca (USMC Iraq War Veteran)
A first-person oral history spoken word performance about a ballet dancer turned Marine in bootcamp.
Sometimes, Silence (2013)
An autobiographical account of an Army mother's experience watching her sons simultaneously deploy to Afghanistan, choreographed by Angela Scimonelli to an original score by her brother and USMC Veteran Paul Scimonelli.
Woman in a Car in Fallujah - Román Baca (USMC Iraq War Veteran)
A first-person oral history spoken word performance about a combat patrol in Fallujah, Iraq and the life or death decisions that had to be made.
Conflict(ed) (2012)
Choreographed by Román Baca and inspired by a military combat patrol in the Iraq desert, Conflict(ed) explores the challenges service members in a war zone face with following standard operating procedure and their own humanity.
The Absurdity of War - Román Baca (USMC Iraq War Veteran)
A first-person oral history spoken word performance about the absurd things that happen in war.
Whims of War and Romance (2024)
Choreographed by Román Baca, Whims of War and Romance is set to songs by US Army veteran and classically trained tenor Jesús Daniel Hernández. Loosely inspired by the music lyrics but driven by a larger arc, the piece holds the weight of reintegration with tenderness and light humor. A veteran returns home drunk on war, and experiences the absurdity, longing, and search for connection and joy that follows. Commissioned by Savage Wonder, a Beacon, NY arts organization dedicated to supporting work by veteran creators.
New Talk
A first-person oral history spoken word performance from a John Jay College participant.
New Work created with John Jay community
New Work built with and for John Jay military veteran and first responder students.
CreatiVets Talk - Roman Baca (USMC Iraq War Veteran)
A first-person oral history spoken word performance about the legacy of service from one generation to the next.
Selection of CreatiVets Works (2022-24)
A collaboration between Exit12 and CreatiVets, a Nashville-based nonprofit that pairs world-class singer-songwriters with military veterans to create music about the veteran experience. Challenge Accepted speaks to a daughter being inspired to serve through her grandmother's example; What If poses the question: 'What if we could solve all the issues facing veterans today?'; and We Are America is a call to rekindle the spirit of resilience, strength, and resolve the nation experienced post 9/11. Music by award-winning country duo Johnny and Heidi(Johnny Bulford and Heidi Raye Bulford).
Talkback - 15 min
Exit12's CUNY Dance Initiative residency and performance in collaboration with John Jay College and the Gerald W. Lynch Theater is also generously supported by the New York State Council on the Arts.
ABOUT EXIT12 DANCE COMPANY
Iraq War veteran and choreographer Roman Baca co-founded Exit12 Dance Company in 2007 to process his military experience through dance. His early works received critical acclaim and opened dialogue about the veteran experience.
After several of his platoon mates died by suicide in 2011, Baca saw the urgent need for others in the military community to access similar healing tools. Exit12 expanded to serve veterans, service members, and military families, honoring the diversity of experiences within the armed forces. The company developed a model that brings together individuals affected by war and guides them through writing and movement workshops to co-create public dance theater performances that reflect their stories, challenges, and hopes. Each performance is followed by facilitated discussions that deepen understanding between performers and audiences.
Since becoming a nonprofit in 2018, Exit12 has evolved from a small dance company into an internationally recognized organization advancing arts-based approaches to healing, dialogue, and cultural diplomacy. Rooted in our mission to use dance and storytelling to honor and explore the military experience, our programming meets the unique needs of the military-connected community while fostering inclusion and shared understanding.
Each year, Exit12 serves over 1,000 military-connected participants and reaches more than 5,000 audience members through public performances and livestreams. We conduct a minimum of 25 weeks of rehearsals with a core ensemble of seven professional dancers, creating new works inspired by stories of service in collaboration with participants.
Within the New York Harbor Veterans Affairs (VA) System, we lead four movement workshop series annually across three sites, each 4-8 weeks long and culminating in a performance. A similar series is conducted at the James J. Peters VA. In partnership with the Intrepid Museum, we offer an eight-week program serving up to 50 participants, ending in a fully produced, evening-length performance alongside our professional repertoire.
Our other NY programs, salons, and partnerships serve up to 200 participants each year,
Exit12 has served over 10,000 members of the military community and engaged more than 70,000 civilians through live events-and over a million through digital and print media-bridging the military-civilian divide and fostering empathy through art.
More information: https://exit12danceco.org/
ABOUT THE CUNY DANCE INITIATIVE
The CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) was developed in response to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's 2010 report, 'We Make Do,' which cited how destabilizing the shortage of affordable rehearsal space in New York City is to the dance sector. A successful pilot supporting residencies on four CUNY campuses in 2013 led to CDI's formal launch in 2014. Since then, CDI has become a key player in New York City's performing arts ecosystem, leading a consortium of 14 CUNY colleges and four arts organizations to host 20+ residencies for NYC choreographers and dance companies each year. Over the past 12 years, CDI has granted 300 residencies to emerging and established choreographers, providing invaluable resources to artists, while enhancing CUNY students' education and cultural experiences.
The CUNY Dance Initiative receives major support from The Howard Gilman Foundation, The George S. Kaufman Charitable Foundation, and The Mertz Gilmore Foundation. Additional support is provided by the SHS Foundation, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and the Harkness Foundation for Dance.
ABOUT GERALD W. LYNCH THEATER AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York, an international leader in educating for justice, offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. In teaching, scholarship and research, the College approaches justice as an applied art and science in service to society and as an ongoing conversation about fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu.
Since opening its doors in 1988, the Gerald W. Lynch Theater has been an invaluable cultural resource. The Theater is a member of CUNY Stages, a consortium of 16 performing arts centers located on CUNY campuses across New York City and the CUNY Dance Initiative.
The Theater has been home to the Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival & White Light Festival, as well as the New Yorker Festival, Mannes Opera, the World Science Festival, and the revival of Mummunschanz. The Theater has hosted live and recorded events including David Letterman's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Inside the Actor's Studio, Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts, Comedy Central Presents one-hour specials, the American Justice Summit, the NYC Mayoral Democratic Debates, and the launch of Jay-Z's REFORM initiative. The Theater welcomes premiere galas, conferences, international competitions, and graduations. For more information, and a schedule of events, please visit www.GeraldWLynchTheater.com.
