Pittsburgh’s Kelly Strayhorn Theater Presents: New York Premieres of slowdanger’s SUPERCELL and STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos’s CIRCLES: going in at The Flea Theater, NYC
As part of Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s (KST) ongoing Owning Our Future, Thriving Where We Live strategic direction, KST is thrilled to announce the second year of KST X NYC, a special initiative to share new works commissioned and developed in Pittsburgh by KST in collaboration with national partners. This year, KST is proud to announce the New York City premieres of two new dance works from Pittsburgh-based artists, slowdanger’sSUPERCELL and STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos’s (SPdp&SS) CIRCLES: going in from Thursday, January 11 to Sunday, January 14, 2024 in New York City.
slowdanger’s SUPERCELL, an evening-length multidisciplinary quintet responding to the climate crisis and media sensationalism, is presented on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 6:00pm and Friday, January 12, 2024, at 2:00pm. STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos’s CIRCLES: going in is presented on Saturday and Sunday, January 13 - 14, 2024 at 6:00pm. All performances take place at The Flea Theater at 20 Thomas St, NYC. Tickets are Pay What Moves You: $20 to $35.
KST X NYC was first launched in January 2023 as a special presentation of Pittsburgh-based theater artist Adil Mansoor’s solo lecture performance, Amm(i)gone, at the Performance Project at University Settlement, to open the pathways for Pittsburgh-based talents to thrive through national touring.
“Our Owning Our Future, Thriving Where We Live strategic direction reaffirms KST’s position as a Black and queer-centered organization, and building a future that includes a more concrete foundation for our vision. Supporting talented artists from our community proves our dedication to our mission,” says KST’s Executive Director Joseph Hall.
Co-commissioned by KST, The Theater Offensive (Boston, MA) and the National Performance Network Creation and Development Fund (NPN), Mansoor’s performances launched a US Tour with upcoming presentations at a growing list of institutions including Woolly Mammoth Theater (Washington, DC), and Long Wharf Theater (New Haven, CT). KST hopes to extend the life of slowdanger’s SUPERCELL and SPdp&SS’s CIRCLES: going in, through these special NYC premiere performances.
KST’s Programming Director, Ben Pryor notes, “In January, The Arts Presenters conference hosts an unprecedented opportunity for national and international exposure and exchange. In bringing these works to New York City during APAP, we are telling KST’s story to our national and international colleagues and creating an opportunity for exposure that most Pittsburgh-based artists don’t get to experience.”
slowdanger’s SUPERCELL draws inspiration from the awe-inspiring yet ominous supercells—large storms with deep, persistent updrafts often leading to tornadoes. The terrifying supercells are harbingers of substantial damage. This natural effect is also similar to sensationalist media, instantly amplifying catastrophic events for insatiable public consumption. SUPERCELLtherefore is informed by the natural effect, finding parallels and addressing environmental collapse and sensationalism in media.
According to anna thompson and taylor knight of slowdanger, “KST has been a beacon of support for slowdanger since our inception and has become a cherished home and community for us in Pittsburgh. Their support as development partners for SUPERCELL and conviction towards placing Pittsburgh artists on the national stage has been pivotal in our growth.
CIRCLES: going in, was co-commissioned by KST in collaboration with The Joyce Theater (NYC) and the National Performance Network (New Orleans, LA) via NPN’s Creation and Development Fund. The work premiered at The August Wilson African American Cultural Center (Pittsburgh, PA), and has toured to the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago (Chicago, IL). It will be presented at Bates College (Lewiston, ME) in February ‘24.
Layering dance and visual arts with pulsing beats and bass lines, CIRCLES: going in presents snapshots of popular culture through choreographer Staycee Pearl’s lens as a Black woman. With an ensemble of five dancers, CIRCLES: going in is a colorful, unapologetic, and daring path to self-reclamation. Central to the work is an original sound score of hip-hop, house, techno, and ballroom music samples – bringing the joy, spontaneity, and uncensored freedom of self-expression from the club to the stage.
“We first developed our artistic voice and organizational mission during our time as the resident dance company from 2010 to 2013 at KST,” Staycee Pearl fondly remembers, “KST’s support has played a huge part in propelling our work onto the national stage.”
Join KST before and after each performance for light refreshments in the lobby of The Flea Theater. You’re also invited to a special reception on Friday, January 12 at 12:30pm with the artists.
The Flea Theater is ADA-accessible and Kelly Strayhorn Theater is happy to further address any accommodations that will enrich your visit. Please reach out to KST’s Box Office team at 412.363.3000 x213 or boxoffice@kelly-strayhorn.org to let the team know in advance.