Back by popular demand, Les Ballet Afrik’s New York is Burning draws inspiration from the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning and its depiction of voguing as a powerful expression in the face of racism, homophobia, and the stigma of the AIDS crisis. New York is Burning reflects the aspirations of a diverse group of dancers in a city beset by health, racial, and financial crises. Highlighting the importance of community and connection to ancestry, Les Ballet Afrik provides a space for individual expression and radical acceptance.
“As the first ballroom experience at the Joyce Theatre, Wiles makes history, and continues to claim space. The message is simple: everyone should have the opportunity to live and to be loved. ‘Just open the door, because I’m definitely going to walk through,’ says Wiles.”
– Dance Magazine
“If you don’t go and see New York is Burning, you will regret it as people will talk about it for weeks and months. And you’ll miss out on supporting an incredible young artist, Omari, and his company, ADF, and live theater.”– Ronald K. Brown “New York is Burning is a whimsical and nostalgic journey back to the 70s and 90s with snippets of Madonna videos, sparkling disco balls, groovy music tracks, and projected archived Vogue ball clips.”– Miranda Stuck, Dance Enthusiast
Friday, June 28 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, June 29 at 7:30 pm *Post-Performance Discussion
Join Les Ballet Afrik for a Dance Party after the performance on June 28!
Omari Wiles developed "New York Is Burning" for his company, Les Ballet Afrik, in a summer 2020 Works & Process bubble residency at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, a spring 2021 Works & Process bubble residency at Catskill Mountain Foundation (with support from the Mellon Foundation and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation), and a January 2022 Works & Process LaunchPAD “Process as Destination” residency at The Church, Sag Harbor in partnership with Guild Hall of East Hampton. Throughout this time, in some of New York State’s first permitted performances during the pandemic, Works & Process coproduced Les Ballet Afrik’s outdoor, filmed, and preview performances at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Lincoln Center, and the Guggenheim rotunda and the world premiere in the museum’s Peter B. Lewis Theater on November 5, 2022. The company performed previews at Jacob's Pillow, New Victory, and SummerStage and most recently was presented at The Joyce Theater.
Photo: Titus Ogilvie-Laing