January 9-16

Founded, directed and curated by Thomas Benjamin Snapp Pryor, American Realness returns January 9-16, 2018 for its ninth consecutive season. For 2018 the festival expands its scope with multiple off-site partner venues, in addition to lead presenters and festival hubs Gibney Dance and Abrons Arts Center. This year’s partner venues include The Invisible Dog Art Center, SculptureCenter, Danspace Project and Participant Inc. With these partners the American Realness 2018 performance program presents 17 evening-length performance works in 89 performances featuring three world premieres, three North American premieres, four New York City premieres and six encore engagements including NY Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award winners and nominees.

Additionally the festival includes an installation program with sculptural, historical and video works in the galleries at Gibney Dance and Abrons Arts Center, a process series featuring showings of new works in development and a discourse series which features a series of free public conversations as well as original writing commissions for READING, the American Realness online journal at AmericanRealness.com. More details on these aspects of the festival will be released in December.

American Realness is an internationally recognized platform for the discovery of new works from subversive artists, tearing at the boundaries of their forms. The program commands attention for the proliferation of choreographic and performative practices transcending the traditions and rewriting the definitions of American dance and performance.

American Realness 2018 Presents:

Three World Premieres
• Moriah Evans, Figuring, presented by SculptureCenter
• keyon gaskin, [a swatch of lavender]: a self portrait, commissioned and presented by Gibney Dance with Participant Inc.
• Marissa Perel, (do not) despair solo, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center with support from Gibney Dance

Four North American Premieres
• Antonija Livingstone & Nadia Lauro, les études (heresies 1-7), presented by Gibney Dance
• Neal Medlyn, I <3 PINA, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center
• Michael Portnoy, Relational Stalinism – The Musical, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center
• Simone Aughterlony & Jen Rosenblit with Miguel Gutierrez and Colin Self, Everything Fits in the Room, presented with support from Pro Helvetia

Four New York City Premieres
• Michelle Ellsworth, The Rehearsal Artist, co-presented by The Invisible Dog Art Center and Gibney Dance
• Claire Cunningham & Jess Curtis, The Way You Look (at me) Tonight, presented by Gibney Dance
• Rosy Simas, We Wait In The Darkness, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center
• NIC Kay, lil BLK, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center

Six Encore Engagements
• Ishmael Houston-Jones & Miguel Gutierrez with Nick Hallett and Jennifer Monson, Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life and other works by John Bernd, co-presented by Danspace Project and Gibney Dance
• Mariana Valencia, ALBUM, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center
• Nora Chipaumire, #PUNK, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center
• jumatatu m. poe and Donte Beacham, Let ‘im Move You: A Study (2013/2016) and Let ‘im Move You: This Is a Success (2016), co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center
• Jaamil Olawale Kosoko, Séancers, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center
• Adrienne Truscott, THIS, co-presented by American Realness and Abrons Arts Center