THE POLITICS OF MOVEMENT is Coming to Theater at the 14th Street Y
The event will bring together eight companies and choreographers whose work spans generations, aesthetics, and cultural lineages.
Clark Center NYC and The American Dance Guild join forces for the first time to present The Politics of Movement: When Dance Speaks Out, a two-night performance exploring protest, resistance, identity, and social justice through the visceral language of dance.
Performances take place April 14 and 15 at 7:00 PM at the Theater at the 14th Street Y in New York City.
Bringing together eight companies and choreographers whose work spans generations, aesthetics, and cultural lineages, the program examines how dance has long served as both witness and catalyst, from anti-fascist statements of the 1930s to contemporary explorations of migration, war, race, and national identity. Each evening concludes with a post-performance conversation with the choreographers, inviting audiences to engage more deeply with the artistic and political questions raised onstage.
With the current political climate in mind, the evening looks at the legacy of protest in dance - both direct and indirect - expressing themes and emotions that only dance can convey on a primal level, as long as human beings have been compelled to move.
At a moment when democratic values and human rights remain under global strain, The Politics of Movement affirms dance as an essential, embodied form of civic expression.
A Historic Collaboration
Founded in 1959 with support from Alvin Ailey, Clark Center provided critical opportunities for black dancers and choreographers who were historically excluded from mainstream concert stages. Today, Clark Center NYC continues that legacy by honoring its history while amplifying contemporary voices.
The American Dance Guild, established in 1956 and celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2026, remains one of the nation's first dance service organizations, committed to artistic excellence, accessibility, and intergenerational exchange.
This performance marks the organizations' first joint presentation, uniting legacy institutions in a shared call for artistic and social engagement.
THE PROGRAM
Historic Works Reimagined
Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble
Presents Anna Sokolow's 1937 anti-fascist protest work Slaughter of the Innocents, reconstructed and reimagined nearly 80 years later by Artistic Director Samantha Geracht using archival materials, embodied lineage, and historical research.
Dances We Dance directed by Francesca Todesco, in collaboration with Catherine Gallant (Dances by Isadora)
Highlights politically engaged solos by Isadora Duncan, including works set to Scriabin's Études, The Revolutionary, and The Crossing, dances in which personal expression becomes social statement.
Contemporary Voices of Protest and Identity
Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama - The Corral
Drawing from her lived experience of Argentina's financial collapse (“El Corralito”), Anabella Lenzu interrogates homeland, immigration, and patriotism through a multimedia fusion of dance, theater, photography, and text.
H.T. Chen & Dancers - Opening the Gate
Blending modern dance with Asian aesthetics, this signature work reflects cultural hybridity and identity in motion.
Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company - ADEAU/RAFT
Choreographed by Eleo Pomare, this searing work evokes Haitians caught between devastation and uncertain futures.
Monét Movement Productions: The Collective - Crack!
A powerful exploration of black woman rage, reframing stereotype into complexity, softness, dynamism, and agency.
Arthur Avilés Typical Theater - Untitled #5A After Ted Shawn
Arthur Avilés augments Ted Shawn's 1923 Danse Américaine, refracting early modern dance through a contemporary Bronx lens.
Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet - Mothers of War
Choreographed by Christopher Huggins, this emotionally charged work centers the women who remain when men go to war - suspended between hope and grief, resilience and fear.
Dance-theater artist Ara Fitzgerald appears as The Ghost of P.T. Barnum, serving as master of ceremonies.
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