View Program for Zapatografía/ShoegraphyZapatografía/Shoegraphy is a conceptual solo dance by Larissa Velez-Jackson, created in collaboration with community members of the Henry Street Settlement Senior Center. Using Velez-Jackson’s signature humor in its minimalist form, Zapatografía/Shoegraphy addresses the relationship between the longtime working class residents of New York City and its experimental arts community. The work captures the tenuous nature of language and meaning when objects, words, gestures, costumes, pregnant pauses, song, dance, and diverse cultures are placed side by side. Larissa Velez-Jackson (LVJ) is a NYC-based choreographer and multi-platform artist. She uses improvisation as a main tool for research and creation, yielding dance, sound and deep humor. She has presented work at numerous NYC venues such as: American Realness Festival ’11 and ‘15 at Abrons Arts Center, Chocolate Factory Theater ‘14 and in 2017 at New York Live Arts with Yackez, a collaboration with her husband, Jon Velez-Jackson. LVJ has been nominated for a 2016 New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” award for Outstanding Emerging Choreographer and was awarded the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Grant to Artists award for 2016.ZAPATOGAFIA/SHOEGRAPHY was originally developed with support from The Bushwick Starr and was featured as part their 2017-18 Season.

Zapatografía/Shoegraphy is commissioned by Abrons Arts Center through the Abrons AIRspace Residency Program with generous grants from the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Harkness Foundation for Dance, the Jerome Foundation, the Jerome Robbins Foundation, the Scherman Foundation, and other generous Henry Street Settlement funders. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. This season was also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Zapatografía/Shoegraphy has received development through Henry Street Settlement’s PATHS program, and funded in part with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. This work was originally commissioned by The Bushwick Starr and supported by a Grant to Artists Award from Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

Image: Sean O’Neill