Shows | Page 5 of 47 | Performance Space New York Spring Gala

CORTEX

Originally commissioned by the Sónar Festival Barcelona and CTM Berlin, Performance Space presents the official U.S. premiere of CORTEX, directed, choreographed, and performed by Kianí Del Valle and her interdisciplinary movement ensemble, KDV Performance Group. Making its New York debut, this piece collaborates with the creative studio Hamill Industries for visual and lighting design, and features an original live score by experimental club producer and DJ, Tayhana, seamlessly integrating dance, music, and visual effects.

CORTEX is a semi-narrative, four-act performance that explores the profound implications of the human brain in the quest for existence beyond morality. Each act examines various physiological states emerging from the depths of the grieving process. Drawing on extensive research into the remarkable resilience of the human brain—particularly the functions of gamma waves and the temporal lobe, which sustain consciousness even amid bodily decline—this work delves into the liminal realms of life and death, solitude and connection.

By exploring movement as a medium for fluid, equitable collaboration, each performer’s unique history and interpretation of death and grief enrich the overall piece, cultivating a space where individual and communal expression converge. The characters in this work, including Del Valle as a performer, create movement-based narratives prompted by sound to escape existential limbo—a temporary halt in their physical, psychological, and psychic journeys where they are stuck in time, restlessly questioning their psychological state. Breaking free from these constraints is essential to finding others; only then can they gain the energy to continue their respective journeys and unlock the simple yet profound aspects of existence.

Inebria Me

Inebria Me adapts Los Angeles-based composer, musician, and performance artist San Cha’s 2019 album of original music, La Luz de la Esperanza, into an experimental opera. Drawing inspiration from eclectic sources–Frederico Garcia Lorca, Robert Wilson, Winona Ryder in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa to name a few– Inebria Me‘s captivating narrative and libretto are driven by San Cha’s personal and artistic influences. Her rural Mexican immigrant family life; Bay Area and Los Angeles drag, queer nightlife, and DIY communities; childhood participation in Catholic church choirs; and familial cross-border experiences all converge in a narrative arc that defies linear conventions. San Cha combines sonic performance with innovative lighting, scenic design, theatrical elements, and video, to celebrate the liberating power of ascendant relationships and offer a nuanced exploration of tragedy and love.

San Cha asserts queer Black and brown presence and perspectives while both honoring and subverting two long-standing traditions; she merges the structural framework and theatrical arc of opera with the melodramatic emotive essence and storytelling methodologies of telenovelas (internal dialogues and flashback sequences for example). A central facet of the work lies in the representation of gender binaries through the opulent art of drag, challenging societal norms with a deliberate exaggeration of gender roles. In general, Inebria Me queers and dispels the cisgender and heteronormative archetypes that dominated the telenovelas of San Cha’s youth. The work introduces the character Dolores, a beauty of humble means who, after marrying wealthy Salvador, finds herself caught in a web of jealousy and abuse. During a particularly dark moment, Esperanza, a gender-less being of light and empowerment, visits Dolores, giving her strength to escape Salvador’s control and realize her true value.

The cast, musicians, and creative team reflect a diverse spectrum of queerness and cultural identity and as San Cha is a consummate collaborator, their collaborative contributions to this work are central to the piece. Alongside vocalists San Cha and Dorian Wood, Darian Donovan Thomas‘ musical arrangements highlight the talents of Phong Tran and Louis Coy across strings, percussion, harp, horns, woodwinds, and electronics, in a composed live score that fuses the long notes and strong vibrato of ranchera music with cumbia, mariachi, punk, and classical, while remaining contemporary and electronic-forward. With creative and video direction by Gerardo Gonzalez, lighting by Pablo Santiago, scenic design in consultation with Anthony Robles, and featuring local artists in each production, this acclaimed and imaginative team is building a work that seamlessly embraces tradition and experimentation, and queer histories and self-determined futures.

Inebria Me is co-commissioned by Performance Space New York; National Performance Network (NPN); Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA); Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana; and Roy & Edna Disney CalArts Theatre (REDCAT).

Additional support provided by Stylus; Denniston Hill; Oak Head; and The Limen Foundation.

The Dan Daw Show

As a part of the 20th season of Under the Radar, in collaboration with Performance Space New York, Dan Daw Creative Projects presents The Dan Daw Show – a demonstration of both power and submission where we as viewers are taken through Daw’s journey of self-inspiration and self-motivation. Through care, intimacy, and dominance, Dan Daw gives us a glimpse into the kinky / sweaty / push / pull of living with shame while bursting with pride. This is a show about care, intimacy and resilience, about letting go and reclaiming yourself.

Through theatre and dance, Daw is joined by Thomasin Gülgeç in an intimate evening of play. Nominated for the 2021 National Dance Awards, Daw subverts the notions of power and control – allowing himself to be dominated on his own terms.

Performance Schedule

Sunday, January 12, 4PM
Monday, January 13, 7:30PM
Wednesday, January 15, 7:30PM
Thursday, January 16, 7:30PM
Friday, January 17, 7:30PM

Credits

Supported by Factory International, Manchester, and Arts Council England. Also supported using public funding from Arts Council England through project grants. Co-commissioned in 2019/20 by Sadler’s Wells, Arts House Melbourne, DanceHub Birmingham, The Lowry, Déda, Cambridge Junction, DanceXchange and Dance4. Supported by Shoreditch Town Hall, Candoco Dance Company and I’m Here, Where Are You? Festival. Research supported by Jerwood Choreographic Research Project II. Horizon – Performance Created in England (Residency and Showcase)

Content Note

Depictions of kink experiences, suffocation, humiliation, dominant behavior, sexually explicit depictions and language, descriptions of feeling othered, loud noises, flashing lights and sexy disabled people. The Dan Daw Show is recommended for audience members 18 years and older.

A full list of show triggers can be found on the Dan Daw Creative Projects website here.

Please note some of this information may include spoilers regarding show content.

Access

Performance Space New York is ADA compliant with a no step entry. We have level access from the sidewalk and an elevator that leads to the fourth floor spaces. Public restrooms are located on the same floor as the performance spaces and are multi-stall, gender neutral, and wheelchair accessible with handrails on the left side. Assisted Listening Devices are available on the ground floor at the Box Office. Service Animals are gladly welcomed.

The Dan Daw Show offers Pre-Show Access Drop-In for anyone with access requirements who would benefit from being in the space and finding out more about the show before the performance commences. These Pre-Show Access sessions are free and open to all ticket holders of The Dan Daw Show and will start one hour prior to each scheduled performance start time. Each Pre-Show Access session will be facilitated by The Dan Daw Show team, who you will be able to find outside the auditorium wearing high-visibility clothing. The aim of these Pre-Show Access Sessions is to offer a flexible, individually tailored response to anyone who needs support in order to access the show.

Remesas y Sobremesa – Business, Commerce, and Culture: Exploring Latino and Immigrant Business Impact on NYC

Join us for the inaugural event of the Remesas y Sobremesa Series, presented by Historias. The evening will feature a group discussion that explores the multifaceted influence of Latino and immigrant businesses on New York City’s economic, social, and cultural landscape. From their roles as drivers of economic growth to their impact as cultural anchors, these businesses have long created a “cultural scaffolding” that strengthens and sustains communities. The conversation will delve into the complexities of Latino entrepreneurship in NYC, where small businesses act as hubs of commerce, identity preservation, and resilience amidst evolving challenges.

The Remesas y Sobremesa series invites guests to gather around the table, where the warmth of food and shared meals meets thoughtful dialogue.

Guest Speakers: Ligia Guallpa, Co-Executive Director at Worker’s Justice Project, Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director at Street Vendor Project, Rosa Ayala, Executive Assistant at United Bodegas of America, and Dra. H.C Rosa B. Ayala, Community Leader and Human Rights Advocate.

Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House

Organized by FABnyc with 20 Lower East Side organizations, the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House is intended to give folks an opportunity to spend time exploring 20 cultural organizations in the LES without a ticket to a show or the cost of admission!

All organizations will have staff available to welcome you & answer questions about their programs — many offer special free activities such as tours, exhibits, workshops, and performances.

Experience Performance Space New York’s Open Room, transformed by Black Quantum Futurism into a sanctuary prioritizing community-based work that uplifts temporal autonomy, play, experimentation, spatial reclamation, and collective visioning.

The Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House is organized annually to coincide with the citywide Open House New York weekend!

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