Ephrat Asherie’s “movement phrases—compact bursts of choreography with rapid-fire changes in rhythm and gestural articulation—bubble up and dissipate, quickly paving the way for something new” (The New York Times). Her fun, lively company’s performance of UNDERSCORED serves as a living archive of five generations of New York City club dancers. It’s an exhilarating journey through deeply personal histories; rarely seen archival footage; a vast musical landscape including funk, disco, and house; and decades of dancing through the culturally reflective styles of breaking, hip hop, house, vogue, waacking, and hustle.

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“UNDERSCORED” was developed in Works & Process LaunchPAD residencies at Catskill Mountain Foundation (2022), Bridge Street Theatre (2021), Kaatsbaan (2020), and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Additional residency support provided by CUNY Dance Initiative, Lumberyard, and The Yard. Past performances have taken place at Harlem Stage, Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim Museum, The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, and The Yard.

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"UNDERSCORED" was made possible by the NEFA’s National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Mellon Foundation. This project is made possible in part by a grant from the APAP - Association of Performing Arts Professionals for a residency at The Jay and Linda Grunin Center, made possible through support from the Mellon Foundation. “UNDERSCORED” is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by Works & Process in partnership with ArtPower at UC San Diego, The Momentary and The Yard. The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency).

Photo: Erick Munari