THE DECADE FROM HELL... Comes to the Gibney Center

Gibney, the New York City based dance and social justice organization, presents the world premiere of The Decade from Hell…, with unique experiences at each performance of the three-night run. The work is both a devised movement theater work and a live-studio audience recording, with a film and album produced from the performances. The opening night performance features live music by drummer Isaiah Jones.

Titled after Time Magazine's controversial 2009 article heralding the first ten years of the 21st Century as the "worst decade ever," The Decade from Hell… invites audiences to launch themselves from the nostalgia of the early 2000s as a jumping off point. With visual/film direction by Torian Ugworji, lighting design by Vamir, and a sound score by The IAMI Collective, the cast of Millennial and GenZ BIPOC artists guide the audience through an immersive ritual encompassing memory, empathy, and letting go.

The film and album produced as a result of these performances will be artifacts for the production and will serve as a platform for each artist and participant to share deeper parts of their own personal upbringings and experiences. The Decade from Hell is one of two works closing Johnnie Cruise Mercer's multi-year project A Process Anthology: The Decade from Hell and the Decade that Followed Suite.

The Decade from Hell… was commissioned by Gibney and curated by Eva Yaa Asantewaa as part of the organization's Gibney Presents series for the 2022-2023 Season. This commission included financial, residency, administrative, and production support. This work is also directly supported by The MAP Fund, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, and Mellon Foundation.