New York Live Arts

New York Live Arts
Image of New York Live Arts building
Address 219 W 19th St
Chelsea, New York City
United States
Owner New York Live Arts
Capacity 184
Construction
Opened 2002 as Dance Theater Workshop
Reopened 2011 as New York Live Arts
Architect Edgar Rawlings
Website
www.newyorklivearts.org

New York Live Arts (Live Arts) is a movement-focused arts organization in New York City that serves as the home of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Its activities encompass commissioning, producing, and presenting works of dance, performance and music, together with allied education programming and services for artists. Live Arts is located in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. Its building features a 184-seat theater, rehearsal studios and offices. The organization was formed in 2011 when Dance Theater Workshop (DTW) and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company merged. Bill T. Jones is Artistic Director of New York Live Arts.

History

New York Live Arts was created in 2011 through the merger of Dance Theater Workshop and The Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Dance Company. The merger was conceived by the boards and staff of both organizations to address specific challenges each was facing around 2009. Dance Theater Workshop was struggling with capitalization and fundraising-capacity problems connected to substantial debt and operating costs it had assumed to develop its building, which opened in 2002. For its part, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company had been looking to establish its first studio/office facility and had recently been advised that its bid to become a tenant of a new building in Harlem had been rejected despite its having secured commitments of $13 million in public funding to support the development of the space.[1]

News of the possibility of a merger generated discussion within the New York City contemporary dance scene. DTW had been a vital part of New York City dance since 1965, helping nurture the careers of hundreds of dancers and companies. There was concern that having a single artist, Bill T. Jones, at the head of the organization could alter the eclectic and inclusive spirit that had distinguished DTW.[2]

Following a months-long process of discussions, community forums and negotiations, the boards of both organizations agreed that the shared values of the two entities and the complementary expertise of their staffs pointed to the possibility that a merger could address the immediate needs of both organizations and open new possibilities for the combined organization.[3] The Jones organization committed to raising $3 million to pay down the bond debt on the DTW building as part of the merger agreement. Simultaneous with the merger announcement, the two entities unveiled the New York Live Arts name, noting that the omission of the word "dance" was meant to suggest potential future directions encompassing a wider range of art forms.[4]

Governance and management

New York Live Arts is overseen by an 18-member board. Bill T. Jones serves as Artistic Director, supported by Associate Artistic Director Janet Wong.[5] Kim Cullen is Executive Director overseeing day-to-day operations in concert with approximately 25 full-time staff members[6] New York Live Arts' annual budget is approximately $5 million, supported by philanthropic contributions, earned income, and government support.[7]

Major programs

The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is the largest and most visible program of New York Live Arts. The company, founded in 1982, tours internationally and has long been considered a leading force in contemporary dance. It has been a primary vehicle for Bill T. Jones to realize his creative vision, and is noted for its engagement with political and social issues.[8] The company rehearses at New York Live Arts and occasionally performs there.

New York Live Arts mounts an annual season of performances at its theater that features of a range of artists and companies, presented both independently and in partnership with other organizations.

Live Ideas is a humanities festival presented each spring that focuses on a single topic rooted in an aspect of thinking about the body that is explored through lectures, panel discussions, performances, films and other activities.

The Randjelovic/Stryker Resident Commissioned Artist is a two-year residency for distinguished mid-career artists. The residency offers a salary and health benefits, in addition to studio space in which to develop a new work for premiere at New York Live Arts.

Live Feed is a residency program in which select artists are given opportunities to undertake explorations of a new work, possibly for later commission by Live Arts, through rehearsal time, informal studio showings and public dialogues.

Fresh Tracks is a professional development program and showcase for early-career artists. Each year five artists chosen through an open call receive 50-hours of studio time, a slot on a shared-evening bill in the Live Arts theater, and a range of professional-development sessions on the business and challenges of artistic careers.[9]

Live Core is a suite of artist services that includes fiscal sponsorship, consultations with Live Arts staff members, marketing support and other perquisites.[10]

Building

New York Live Arts occupies the basement and first three levels of an 11-story condominium tower. The basement and first level are dedicated to the 184-seat theater, lobby and supporting spaces. In the theater, a high-ceilinged black-box space with a 42 x 30 foot sprung floor abuts a steeply-raked fixed seating area on one side. When describing a similar theater layout in Dance Theater Workshop's original building, former DTW Executive Director David R. White characterized this configuration as "a formal, frontal black box theater."[11] The second level of the building is devoted to offices and meeting rooms. The third level features two 1,200 square-foot windowed rehearsal studios, also with sprung floors, that can be combined to create a single space. This level also has two changing areas with lockers, showers and bathrooms.[12]

Selected artists and companies presented at New York Live Arts

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Maciariello, Catherine (2011). The Innovation Lab for the Performing Arts: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company/Dance Theater Workshop. Emc Arts, Inc. p. 2. Retrieved 26 September 2017. A similar text to the publication cited can be viewed at the URL embedded here. This reference is to the PDF version available at the same location.
  2. ↑ Lee, Felicia R. (April 26, 2010). "Two Dance Visions in a Creative Pas de Deux". New York Times. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  3. ↑ Maciariello, Catherine (2011). The Innovation Lab for the Performing Arts: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company/Dance Theater Workshop. Emc Arts, Inc. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  4. ↑ Taylor, Kate (December 1, 2010). "Dance Theater Merges With Bill T. Jones Troupe". New York Times. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  5. ↑ Cooper, Michael (July 1, 2016). "Reshuffling at New York Live Arts". New York Times. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "New York Live Arts: Leadership & Board". Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "New York Live Arts FY2015 IRS Form 990". Guidestar. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  8. ↑ Wilkinson, Kirsten (2012). "Bill T. Jones" (PDF). Dance Heritage Coalition: 100 Dance Treasures. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "New York Live Arts: Programs". Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  10. ↑ "New York Live Arts: Live Core". Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  11. ↑ Armstrong, Leslie; Morgan, Roger (1984). Space for Dance. Washington, D.C.: Publishing Center for Cultural Resources. p. 146. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  12. ↑ Dunning, Jennifer (March 10, 2001). "Starting a New Building so Dance Can Soar". New York Times. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
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