Taylor Gordon's UNPACKED: A DANCE ADVENTURE Returns To NYC in August

International dancer and choreographer Taylor Gordon will return to New York City this summer with the second season of her powerful, semi-autobiographical work, UNPACKED: a dance adventure. The performance will take place Tuesday, August 19 at 7:00 p.m. outdoors at Waterside Plaza, located at East 26th Street and the East River.

Blending vibrant contemporary jazz movement with intimate storytelling, UNPACKED follows the parallel lives of a touring performer and an Army soldier—siblings whose adventures are cut short by tragedy. The dance narrative honors the life of Gordon’s brother, Nick Gordon, who served two tours in Afghanistan before dying by suicide on August 9, 2016. Through travel, friendship, and grief, the work celebrates resilience, memory, and the people we carry with us.

“The morning after my Army soldier brother killed himself, I taught a dance class at the United Nations,” says Gordon. “I danced across more than ten countries. It’s all I knew how to do to heal.”

Directed and choreographed by Gordon in collaboration with over 30 artists from five countries, UNPACKED is currently in development toward a full production commemorating the 10-year anniversary of her brother’s death in 2026.

Ticketing Information

Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/unpacked2025. Tax-deductible donations supporting the artists can be made via Gordon’s Fractured Atlas page.

Cast and Creative Team

The 2025 cast features John Reed and Emmalynn Mackaron, with Delaney Andersen, Caitlin Bond, Lillian Brocksmith, Marika Brooks, Adrienne de la Fuente, Shany Dagan (Associate Choreographer), Gabriel DeRego, Solomon Dudley, Isabel Harding, Meghan Keeney, Hailey Offing, Jordana Rosenberg, Nino Ruggeri, Richie Ruiz, Julia Sheker, Nikki Sember, and Richard Westfahl. Original vocal covers are performed by Sarah Bomber, Nick DiSandro, Charity Farrell, Felicia Martis, Nino Ruggeri, Stacey Rose, Nikki Sember, and George Tidmore.