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DAY IN THE LIFE OF DANCE: DraftWork at Danspace, Curated by Ishmael Houston-Jones
By Miranda Stuck
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Published on October 5, 2023
Qween Jean & ms. z tye. Photo by Lily Cohen
With Artistic Input From Nicole Mannarino, Taylor Stanley, and ms. z tye
WHEN: Saturday, September 23, 2023
WHERE: St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery, 131 E 10th St, New York, NY
An artist’s first draft is always exciting to experience. It’s an uncommon privilege to gain insight into the unfiltered creative brain. Danspace Project's presentation of first drafts, the DraftWork series, is well known for its support of individuality, the creative process, and conversation. Curated by award-winning choreographer, improviser, performer and author, Ishmael Houston-Jones, DraftWork hosts informal performances on Saturday afternoons, offering audiences intimate contact with fresh choreographic voices in the historical space of St. Mark's Church. The series, which engages specifically with younger and underrepresented artists, is considered the heart of Danspace’s work.
On September 23, we were presented with three works in progress by three distinctive artists of highly contrasting backgrounds: Nicole Mannarino, Taylor Stanley, and ms. z tye. New York-based choreographer, Mannarino, played experimentally with live sound and improvisation, intertwining instruments and dancers gliding across the floor.
“[DraftWork] presented a lot of questions about what we want our relationship with the audience to be and how we want to consciously be in relation,” said Mannarino.
One of her dancers, Reché Nelson, noted, “I enjoyed the opportunity to witness new works in very fruitful stages…The diversity of each piece was really refreshing.”
Presenting their own solo work-in-progress for the first time, New York City Ballet principal dancer, Taylor Stanley, stepped on to the floor with ease and breath.
“It’s a journey towards freedom, which involves conscious awareness,” said Stanley, who comes from a history of perfectionism in classical ballet technique. “I’m allowing open absorption of information and personality, and speaking to myself.” Calmly mesmerizing, Stanley extended their limbs across the vast church space revealing their definition of personal freedom.
Finishing the program was Brooklyn-based artist, ms. z tye, who shared a spoken-word-based performance titled American idoll, which is intended to serve as a queer offering to both LGBTQIA- and BIPOC communities.
“This piece is a cry for help,” said ms. z tye, speaking with intention, grace and authority. Her co-performer, Qween Jean, sat on the American flag speaking into a microphone to respond to ms. z tye with praise and affirmation.
The beauty of DraftWork is its allowance of open, free-flowing conversation between creators and spectators. Watching, we are attentively engaged, eager to learn, and invested in the process. As for the artists, said Mannarino directly after her presentation, “Performing my work at Draftworks was exhilarating and an awesome challenge!”
