and Alternative Histories of Downtown Dance
Where: Library of Performing Arts
Shelby Cullom Davis Museum
Vincent Astor Gallery
40 Lincoln Center Pl.
New York, NY
Who: Teens and Up
When: Through September 13, 2025
While there has always been a problem finding enough performance space in New York City, the issue really came to the forefront in the late 1960s. While the creation of Lincoln Center provided a space for elite organizations, this still left many artists unsupported and with nowhere to go. Jeff Duncan offered his studio for dancers to rehearse and perform, and The Dance Theater Workshop was created, which ultimately provided not just a performance space for dancers but also helped them with the administrative side of things.
The present exhibit traces the history of The Dance Theater Workshop from its earliest beginnings to its eventual merger with Bill T. Jones' company to form New York Live Arts in 2011. There are numerous pictures, posters, and more available to view. There are also interviews to listen to and videos to watch. There is a whole section on their innovative program for new and emerging choreographers to present their work, which continues to this day now under the name Fresh Track as well as information regarding the creation of the Bessie Awards for dance. Although dance fans will particularly love this exhibit, anyone can enjoy this fascinating look at the creation and evolution of this innovative program and its legacy.
And that's our view. For more about Room to Move Dance Theater Workshop and Alternative Histories of Downtown Dance, visit www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/room-move-dance-theater-workshop-and-alternative-histories-downtown-dance.
Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.
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