New Victory Dance 2024 Arts Break: Program B

Are you ready to experience a guided tour of New York City dance at New Victory Dance? New Victory Arts Break^SM activities are the perfect way to prep for what you’re about to see on stage! Before you attend Program B, take some time to learn about the artists, do a little moving and grooving yourself, and talk as a family about all things dance!

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New Victory Arts Break videos are filmed at the New Victory Theater. We acknowledge that New Victory resides on the seized homeland of the Lenape people and the intertribal territory of many First Nations. We celebrate and pay deep respect to all Indigenous peoples, past, present and future, and we encourage you to learn more about these vibrant communities.

Learn: Meet the Artists

There are so many amazing dance companies hitting the New Victory stage this summer! Program B features Ephrat Asherie Dance, Kotchegna Dance Company and Barkin/Selissen Project. Here’s a taste of what these artists are all about:

• Choreographer Ephrat Asherie started as a B-girl (breakdancing girl), learning different breakdancing styles at underground clubs like The Roxy in Chelsea.
• Hailing from Côte d’Ivoire, Kotchegna Dance Company‘s Vado Diomande learned the Ivorian stilt-dancing tradition of the Mahou people from his father.
• Kyla Barkin and Aaron Selissen of Barkin/Selissen Project take inspiration from math and science, having used the scientific method to choreograph dances!

Learn more about the different dance styles that are a part of each New Victory Dance program, featuring special insights from the New Victory Teaching Artists who are hosting each program!

Do: Dance Your Feelings

Have you ever felt embarrassed? Overjoyed? Scared? When words aren’t enough, the language of dance can be a great way to express yourself! Follow along with New Victory Teaching Artist Sun Kim and Siobhan from New Victory Education as they pop and groove their way through big feelings.

After you’ve spent some time creating dances inspired by your emotions, you can experiment with choosing emotions at random and inspiring others to feel what you’re feeling! Gather some friends or family members, and get ready to make a box full of emotions, just like Sun and Siobhan used.

Materials: A shoebox (or another kind of cardboard box!), pens or markers, slips of paper, stickers and other art supplies (optional)

Step One: Decorate your shoebox using markers, stickers and whatever other art supplies you enjoy! Make your box feel like an extension of yourself. Add drawings of your favorite animals, foods or flowers.

Step Two: Label your box as a box of your emotions!

Step Three: On slips of paper, write down the names of different emotions. You can brainstorm your own or use some from the sheet above!

Step Four: Take turns pulling slips of paper from the box and expressing how those emotions make you feel by moving or dancing.

Step Five: As you perform your movements, have your friend or family member draw one card from Deck #2 and shout it out to inspire your choreography. Whatever card they pull, see if you can adjust your performance in real time.

Challenge!

Don’t tell the other members of your group what emotion you pulled from the box. Continue moving and dancing through that emotion until they guess correctly!

Like Sun said, you are the choreographer of your emotions. Dance can be a very emotional art form, so you’re well on your way to choreographing a truly captivating performance!

Talk: Dance Dialogue

Dance means different things to different people. Have you ever talked about it as a family? Take a moment to chat about the ins, outs, whats and whys of dance!

• When you think of the word “dance,” what comes to mind? What emotions? What colors or shapes? What people?
• How often do you dance and why?
• Name as many kinds of dances as you can think of! Which are your favorites and why?