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IMPRESSIONS: “The Politics of Movement: When Dance Speaks Out” Presented at the 14Y Theater

By Deirdre Towers/Follow @deirdre.towers on Instagram
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Published on April 30, 2026
The Ghost of P.T. Barnum. Photo courtesy of Ara Fitzgerald

A Collaboration between the American Dance Guild and the Clark Center

Choreographers: Anna Sokolow, Isadora Duncan, Eleo Pomare, Anabella Lenzu, H.T. Chen, Ted Shawn, Arthur Avilés, Christopher Huggins
Dance Companies: Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, Dances We Dance, H.T. Chen, Monét Movement Productions: The Collective — Crack!, Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, Arthur Avilés Typical Theater, Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet
Dancers: Adele Carlson, Jendaya Dash, Natasha Schmid, Ara Fitzgerald, Peter Elizalde, Edu Tair Hernandez, Erin Gottwald, Catherine Gallant

April 15, 2026

Known for his politically charged productions, the great Colombian-American choreographer, Eleo Pomare (1937 – 2008), closed his female trio Radeau (1994) with a savage howl. The dance began with three young women, Adele Carlson, Jendaya Dash, and Natasha Schmid, clasping their arms, then pulling away from one another. As the piece continued, we understood that the women were fleeing Haiti on a raft toward parts unknown. What were they facing? Had they done the right thing? The intensity of their gaze conveyed the fear and uncertainty of their situation. The final collective scream made a gut-wrenching impact.

Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company in Radeau by Eleo Pomare. Photo courtesy of the Company

Radeau was one of the eleven choreographies, both historical and contemporary, presented by Clark Center NYC and The American Dance Guild (ADG) in The Politics of Movement: When Dance Speaks Out, a two-night performance at the 14th Street Y. The thoughtful curation ensured that the audience could appreciate a rainbow of civic expression in these uncivil times.
 

Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble. Photo courtesy of Company
 

Iconic gestures, such as Anna Sokolow's fist pressed against an upraised hand in her Slaughter of the Innocents (1937), Isadora Duncan's circular sweep with fists pushing into the ground in The Revolutionary (1924), along with calls for action seen in H. T. Chen's galvanizing Opening the Gate (2003), spoke of desperate pleas for answers. Anabella Lenzu's more recent multimedia solo,The Corral, had a visceral power of outrage and shock.
 

Catherine Gallant in Isadora Duncan's The Revolutionary. Photo: Julie Lemberger
 

H.T. Chen and Dancers. Photo: Christopher Duggan
 

Balancing these poignant displays of frustration and anger were delightful spouts of imagination and perspective. A clown-faced Ara Fitzgerald appeared as The Ghost of P. T. Barnum. Wearing long red gloves, a top hat, multi-colored striped pants, and a vest, Fitzgerald spouted witticisms, bowed, and bubbled.
 

Anabella Lenzu in The Corral. Photo: Todd Carroll
 

Arthur Avilés restaged Ted Shawn's  Danse Américaine (1923) as a duet performed by Peter Elizalde and Edu Tair Hernandez. The ghost of Shawn and the memory of Avilés' previous dancing antics made the live duet feel more like a quartet.
 

Arthur Avilés in his interpretation of  Danse Américaine by Ted Shawn. Photo: COSTAS
 

Makayla Monét Peterson's contemporary Crack! had a Hell NO! funky, feisty spirit. Performed with arms swinging, by Monét Peterson along with Ashley Fields, Jasmyn Murray, Maleyah Peterson, and Tatiana Turnage, Crack!  seemed like the healthiest way to rebel. Just do it, and keep yourself intact. They describe themselves best — "We walk the line between being in control and moving uncontrollably; a delicate balance showcased through our modern and contemporary movement. The percussive music challenges us to be linear, chaotic, sultry and powerful!” And how!
 

Monét Movement Productions: The Collective in  Crack!  Photo courtesy of the Artist
 

The talkback revealed how painstakingly Sokolow's Slaughter of the Innocents was reconstructed by Samantha Geracht, who recreated the dance from a small series of photos. Fitzgerald explained how a class assignment to pair Hillary Clinton with Eleanor Roosevelt triggered The Ghost of P. T. Barnum.

This performance marked ADG and Clark Center's first joint presentation, uniting legacy institutions in a shared call for artistic and social engagement. Founded in 1959 with support from Alvin Ailey, the Clark Center provided critical opportunities for Black dancers and choreographers historically excluded from mainstream concert stages. ADG,  established in 1956, remains one of the nation's first dance service organizations.
 

Ara Fitzgerald in The Ghost of P.T. Barnum. Photo courtesy of the Artist 

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