Dancing in the Dark

October 31, 2012

*This just in:
Danspace Project has had to cancel its Yvonne Rainer “flashlight matinee.” However, Yvonne Rainer and Group’s performances have been rescheduled for January 24–26, 2013.*

 

“CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS ARE CANCELED. AGAIN.” This kind of message has become distressingly routine over the past couple of days, as New York City theaters and dance organizations continue assessing the damage from Hurricane Sandy. Many performance and rehearsal spaces, especially those south of 34th Street, are still without power, including the Joyce, The Kitchen, New York Live Arts, Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church, Gibney Dance Center, Peridance, and Dance New Amsterdam. Much-anticipated shows (like Daria Faïn’s E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E at NYLA, Malavika Sarukkai at Baryshnikov Arts Center, and Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal at The Joyce) have been canceled or postponed.

But elsewhere, the show goes on. Leave it to Yvonne Rainer and Danspace, where Rainer was supposed to perform tonight through Saturday, to find a creative way around a power outage. While the scheduled performances have been canceled, Rainer will offer a free matinee, Saturday at 1.p.m., of her Assisted Living: Good Sports 2. To participate in what Danspace calls its “low-tech lighting design,” bring a flashlight—and get there early. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., and seating is first-come, first-served. Some uptown events—like Kyle Abraham’s Pavement at Harlem Stage—are still happening. (UPDATE: Thursday’s performance of Pavement was canceled, but tonight and both of tomorrow’s shows are on.)

 

If you’re going a little stir-crazy without a class or rehearsal to go to, rest assured: Several major dance studios are still open (albeit with modified schedules), including Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, and, for those stranded in Brooklyn, the Mark Morris Dance Center. (Another update: Ailey Extension is also open.)


We wish everyone in the dance community a speedy recovery in Sandy’s aftermath. If you want to share your dance-related Sandy stories, tweet to us at @Dance_Magazine.