The Piers Project Jun 17, 2023

The Piers Project

Jun 17, 2023

A group of people in white tank tops stand in a circle and embrace.
A group of people in white tank tops stand in a circle and embrace.

Photography by Becca Vision

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The Susan and John Hess Family Theater is equipped with an induction loop and infrared assistive listening system. Accessible seating is available.

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Floor 3, Theater

The Matthew Westerby Company and Hudson Guild Theatre Company Present The Piers Project

The Piers Project, a co-production of Matthew Westerby Company & Hudson Guild Theatre Company, is inspired by the history and documentation of the world that existed on Manhattan's west side piers in the 1970s and 80s. In the post-Stonewall era, the area became a space of sexual freedom and creative expression among the crumbling relics of the piers. Through photographs and first-hand written accounts capturing the scene, dancers imagine the moments and movements that occurred there, creating a dance work that evokes the freedom, exuberance, anonymity, and dangers of the piers during this time. The program will feature the premiere of Life/Space, a dance work performed by the seven women of MWC inspired by Gestalt psychological theory, which places an emphasis on perception and how we use our senses to understand the world around us. The piece explores a humanistic approach to the study of the individual and how the forces of attraction and repulsion affect our paths through space and time.

Matthew Westerby Company is a New York-based non-profit dance company with a mission of building community through the arts, working in diverse communities each year, producing performances, educational programming and outreach projects.

Hudson Guild Theatre Company is one of the arts programs at Hudson Guild, a multi-service community agency serving those who live, work, or go to school in Chelsea and the west side, with a focus on those in need. The Guild has been a Whitney Education community partner since 2000.

This event is free with registration.

RSVP Saturday, June 17, 1 pmRSVP Saturday, June 17, 4 pm

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On the Hour

A 30-second online art project:
Maya Man, A Realistic Day In My Life Living In New York City

Learn more about this project

Learn more at whitney.org/artport

On the Hour projects can contain motion and sound. To respect your accessibility settings autoplay is disabled.