Dance Listings > Performances & Events

looseKANONdance presents fuze, a queer art experience

Company:
looseKANONdance

looseKANONdance announces the artists selected for fuze, a queer art experience, a new display of multidisciplinary queer artwork made possible by artists, creatives, and collaborators from within the LGBTQIA+ community. The selected artists are Emma Alosi, Daniel Eggert, Mackenzie Simons, Catherine Wang McMahon, and Mika Cook-Wright.

"We were floored by the number of applications received, and the variety of mediums," said Kanon Sapp, founder, looseKANONdance. "We are so lucky to have found such talented artists who are deeply rooted in collaboration and expanding their creativity."

fuze will premiere on November 13, 2021 at 325 East 104th St. There will be in-person and live-streamed showings at 7pm and 9pm with social distancing due to COVID-19 (due to demand, additional showtimes may be added on November 13). Tickets will be available online at www.fuzexperience.com or by phone at 704-562-4439. "fuze is a unique and immersive experience designed to push the boundaries of queer collaboration and creativity," said founder Kanon Sapp, creative director of fuze. "Performance and art festivals are traditionally medium-based and transactional. The NYC Queer Arts Community is rich in artists, yet poor in connectivity. The experience aims to de-fuze the way in which we see each other as competition, rather than a community of endless resources. fuze has the intention of creating a space for LGBTQIA+ artists to create and connect outside of Pride month and to host a community event that will support local businesses and creatives."

The participants of fuze were selected through an application process and will have six weeks to create new works using fuze funding. A creative team will work closely with the artists to support their visions: Branding: Sam Canvin, Barker Agency; Photography: Marc J. Franklin, senior photographer at Playbill; Videography: William Alexander Runnels; Headshots: Bronson Farr. Collaborators for the event are specific LGBTQIA+ small businesses that fuze has chosen to support in order to uplift and strengthen the work of local entrepreneurs within the queer community: Artswrk , House of Jane, Queer Candle Co., and Transfigure Print Co. Special edition fuze merchandise created by collaborators will be available for purchase at the event. fuze is made possible by grants from LMCC, UMEZ, and DCLA.

About the Artists

Emma Alosi (she/her) is currently a student at Parsons School of Design in New York, NY studying illustration. She enjoys working in a variety of mediums and styles. Emma is based in New York and the Boston area

Mika Cook-Wright (they/him) is an experienced ceramicist and painter exploring themes of race, queer sexuality, and trans identity, and is currently in their senior year pursuing a degree in visual art from Connecticut College.

Daniel Eggert (he/him) is a fine art, portrait, food/drink, and product photographer who resides in Chicago. Photography is a big passion of his, and he loves creating new pieces and experimenting with new techniques within his work. His thirst for knowledge about the photography industry is insatiable. 

Mackenzie Simons (she/her) is a New York-based choreographer and a summa cum laude graduate of East Carolina University with a BFA in Dance: Performance and Choreography with a certificate in Entrepreneurship. Mackenzie was given the opportunity to train at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London where she studied dance science and modern dance under the direction of Hofesh Shechter. Mackenzie has choreographed numerous pieces for dancers of all ages and has been recognized nationally for her choreography.

Catherine Wang McMahon (they/her) is a painter and photographer based in Lenapehoking / New York City and Ohlone / San Francisco Bay Area. In their ongoing sitting portrait series, life-sized portrait paintings document and center Queer BIPOC artists, writers, activists, family, neighbors, and everyday people within their community. Their painting style and process draw from traditional Chinese watercolors, vibrant fauvist color palettes, and impressionist techniques. Their approach often involves working from life or taking several reference photos of various plants, landscapes, and details during hikes. They use ai apps, readings, research and activism to assist in flora and fauna identification, land history & historiography, discussions around indigenous land protection, stewardship, & current climate change movements. Catherine remains unapologetically honest in their depictions of the disastrous effects of climate change and inaction as well as their own complicity as a settler of indigenous lands.

looseKANONdance is a queer boutique contemporary dance company based in New York City. Founded by Kanon Sapp in 2017, looseKANONdance has built its name and repertoire over the past three years. The company has been graciously supported by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Upper Manhattan Engagement Zone, Fractured Atlas, Eryc Taylor Dance New Choreographer's Grant, Nimbus Dance, and more. They have performed work at New York City's most notable venues including Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Peridance Capezio Salvatore Theater, Martha Graham Studio Theater, Center for Performance Research, Dixon Place, Judson Memorial Church, and 92nd Street YMCA among many more. looseKANONdance's evening-length work, P L A S T I C, premiered in August 2019 and was notably featured in Playbill. It is the company's mission to investigate the enigmatic, malleability of movement invention while honoring artistic expression; through pioneering unique performance art intricately assembled with gestural, dynamic, vulnerable, and technical elements. The work indulges in creating alternate performance realities, which are jarring yet remarkably human; intimately personal yet wildly interpretive, scoped through the female perspective. fuze is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by the Lower Manhattan Community Council (LMCC). LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community. fuze is also supported by the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ). UMEZ enhances the economic vitality of all communities in Upper Manhattan through job creation, corporate alliances, strategic investments, and small business assistance.