The Invisible Project

 

“The Invisible Project” is choreographed by Keely Garfield and performed by her award-winning company, Keely Garfield Dance. The World Premiere of “The Invisible Project” will be presented as part of NYU Skirball’s prestigious movement series, “Skirball Moves,” in the 2022 season.

“The Invisible Project” defines relationships to power, privilege, trauma and embodiment, raising questions that dance is singularly responsive to: How do we take up space? Who takes up the most space and resources? Where don’t we go? What gets left out? In doing so, the project calls attention to the ways that space can be shared, hoarded, marginalized, annexed, reclaimed, and honored. This inquiry has taken on a new urgency, as it sharply highlights imperative social justice issues. Acknowledging that these concerns are broad and nuanced, “The Invisible Project” focuses on rendering visibility to things that may be overlooked, discounted, ignored, and hidden, and bringing this material into a multidimensional space to consider the relationship between absence, presence, and empowerment. Ultimately, “The Invisible Project” intends to reveal the substrata of our resilient interdependence.

Garfield's work as a hospital chaplain during the pandemic goaded her to take a deeper dive into the themes presented here, and “The Invisible Project” will naturally encompass her lived-experience in this devastating and spirited area. As a chaplain and as an artist, Garfield asserts that the power of authentic presence is paramount, and a real treasure.

Initially, “The Invisible Project” was commissioned for presentation in March 2021 but due to Covid, the premiere was delayed. The company actually began work on the dance in 2019, and presented two showings of work-in-progress at West End Theater, and Sundays On Broadway. This early creative research revealed a sturdy movement score that made room for rawness, reflection, and refinement. These elements are also evident in the lively exchange and flow of ideas present in robust discourse which became a central part of the process when the company moved rehearsals to Zoom during the pandemic. From “postage stamp” living rooms, the company created a lot of new, expansive, and unrestrained choreography that they are eager to explore as they prepare for in-person rehearsals again.

Support for Keely Garfield's creative research and presentation is greatly appreciated!

www.keelygarfield.nyc