Photo by Darial Sneed
On Wednesday, September 11 at 8:05 a.m., Buglisi Dance Theatre presented the 14th annual “Table of Silence Project 9/11,” a profound public performance ritual and global call to action for peace. The event took place at Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza.
Advertisement
The “Table of Silence Project 9/11,” conceived and choreographed by Jacqulyn Buglisi, Artistic Director of Buglisi Dance Theatre, first debuted in 2011 as a tribute to the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. This moving work has evolved into an annual tradition, resonating with audiences across the globe as it addresses contemporary issues such as social justice, environmental sustainability, and the universal longing for freedom from oppression.
More than 150 dancers, all draped in white, ascended into Josie Robertson Plaza, guided by the indigenous sound of a conch shell’s call for truth, solidarity, and peace. As they moved in unison, the dancers were accompanied by the sounds of violin, flute, saxophone, trumpet, bells, vocalists, and the resonant “heartbeat” of bass drums. Performing 12 ritualistic gestures, repeated in sequences of ten, the dancers formed three concentric circles around the iconic Revson Fountain, creating a Peace Labyrinth.
Photo by Terri Gold
Envisioned as a multicultural performance ritual for peace, the “Table of Silence Project 9/11” awakens compassion and unity, bridging all cultural and geographical boundaries through a shared experience of resilience. As the work continues to evolve, it remains a potent healing ritual, confronting the urgent challenges of our time and standing as a voice for those enduring systemic oppression.
Presented by Lincoln Center in partnership with Buglisi Dance Theatre, the “Table of Silence Project 9/11” is a project of the Arnhold Dance Innovation Fund. The event is supported by an array of community partners, including Chelsea Factory, The Juilliard School, Martha Graham Dance Center, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Limón, Gibney Dance Center, and others.
The full performance can be viewed here.
“Envisioned as a multicultural performance ritual for peace, the “Table of Silence Project 9/11” awakens compassion and unity, bridging all cultural and geographical boundaries through a shared experience of resilience.”
Get back to me when this group starts with the million dead Iraqis and the hundreds of thousands killed by the US in Afghanistan.