Outdoor show series Open Air combines music and dance at site-specific events staged in different locations around NYC, and the series kicked off on Wednesday (6/9) with Madison McFerrin, choreographers and dancers Samantha Figgins and Jessica Pinkett, and dancers Amina-Lydia Vargas, Gianna Theodore, and Amar Smalls. The piece, which began as a digital collaboration commissioned for Public Records last year, was performed in the Jackie Robinson Park Bandshell in Upper Manhattan, and you can see what it looked like in the pictures below.
If you missed the Open Air performance, it will be reprised for SummerStage in Central Park on July 25 during a dance showcase, "Dance Is!". Here's the event description:
A dance showcase featuring some of the art form’s most exciting talents will feature performances by artists from Rennie Harris Puremovement, a company rooted in the foundational elements of hip-hop; Complexions Contemporary Ballet, a diverse and inclusive company focused on eliminating the boundaries of any one style, period, venue, or culture; Parsons Dance, renowned for its energized, athletic work; A.I.M., a company with works that entwine sensual and provocative vocabulary with a strong emphasis on sound, human behavior and all things visual; and Soles of Duende, a unique trio weaving together tap, flamenco, and kathak dance. The show will also feature a special segment with dancers from A.I.M. and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, accompanied by the soulful stylings of Madison McFerrin. The work was originally commissioned and produced by four/four presents for their Open Air Series. The evening will include a moment of peace and reflection by Karine Plantadit, former Alvin Ailey and Broadway Tony Award-nominated dancer, instructor, choreographer, certified yoga teacher and life coach.
You can request free tickets three weeks before the show.
Open Air continues with Mary Lattimore and Loni Landon (July 14 and July 15 at Green-Wood Cemetery), Melanie Charles and Kayla Farrish (August 8 at Bushwick Playground Basketball Court), and Moor Mother and Rena Butler (September 15 at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1).
