Arts On Site presents We Belong Here: AAPI Festival
6:30 – 8:30PM
Arts On Site (AOS) announces August performances, featuring dance, music, and film in the heart of the East Village at Studio 3R, 12 St. Mark’s Place, NYC. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at artsonsite.org/tickets.
“Arts On Site began presenting artists in 2016 at 12 Saint Marks Place,” said Chelsea Ainsworth, Executive Director of Arts On Site. “After 350 shows throughout the pandemic, AOS decided to build out a new performance space, Studio 3R, in May 2021 and began presenting artists in June. The space includes installing new black curtains, professional lighting, marley floor and risers for audience seating. We are so pleased to offer artists an intimate, professional, new performance space in NYC.”
We Belong Here: AAPI Festival
Program A:
Friday, August 19, 2022 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $30
Program B:
Friday, August 26, 2022 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Saturday, August 27, 2022 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $30
We Belong Here: AAPI Festival is a fully presented opportunity for choreographers that identify with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, hosted by Arts On Site as part of their ARTS IN SITE performance series bringing underrepresented artists into view. Note: While we use AAPI, we recognize it is imperfect. We use AAPI to encompass all who identify as part of the Asian diaspora including AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander), API (Asian Pacific Islander), APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American), SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African), APA (Asian Pacific American), AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiin Pacific Islander), and more.
LOUISE BENKELMAN, originally from Helena, Montana, graduated magna cum laude with honors from Roger Williams University, attaining a BA in Dance Performance. She has created work for the West End Theatre, Judson Memorial Church, Westfest Dance Festival, and the Actors Fund Arts Center, among others. She is currently dancing and touring with The Bang Group, creating with fellow Bang Group member Tommy Seibold, and exploring solo choreographic ideas. Louise has been with Arts on Site for four years - rehearsing, performing, building, and managing social media for the organization.
DYLAN BAKER is a New York City based dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist, Dylan is originally from the boondocks of Wisconsin where he acquired a BFA in Dance at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Apart from dancing with The Bang Group, Dylan can often be found on stage and screen in works by Matthew Westerby Company and Boink! Dance & Fillm. Behind the scenes, Dylan is the associate producer for the WestFest Dance Festival. When not rehearsing, performing, or producing, Mr. Baker wears his teaching hat at Rivertown Dance Academy in Tarrytown, NY, and The Steffi Nossen School of Dance in White Plains, NY.
ELLIOTT KELLER (he/him), originally from Rochester, NY, is an educator and movement artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He is currently on faculty at Wagner College on Staten Island where he teaches jazz, modern, and contemporary dance courses. He is actively involved with his partner and collaborator, Mar Undag, on a variety of choreographic projects and performances. In 2021, he graduated from The University of Utah with a Master of Fine Arts in Modern Dance.
EDROMAR ‘MAR’ UNDAG (he/him) is a dance artist currently based in Brooklyn, NY. He received his BFA in Modern Dance from The University of Utah and has had the privilege of performing as a free-lance artist and with various dance companies throughout the country. Additionally, Mar has taught dance and presented his own choreographic work at multiple colleges, companies, and festivals including the American College Dance Association, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Brine Dance, Red Rock Dance Festival, Willamette College, MiraCosta College, DUMBO Six Foot Platform and more.
EMILY JERANT-HENDRICKSON has danced professionally in works by various artists and companies including little house dance, Sidra Bell, Itzik Galili, Shura Baryshnikov, Jenna Pollack, Ilya Vidrin, Lorraine Chapman, and David Parker and the Bang Group. She has had the pleasure of performing at venues and through organizations such as World Music/ CRASH Arts, Boston Lyric Opera, The Yard, APAP at City Center, The Ailey Citigroup Theater, The Martha Graham Theater, Soaking WET, Boston Center for the Arts, Oberlin Dance Theater’s State of Play Festival, and Cape Dance Festival. Emily is also a teacher and has acted as a rehearsal director for little house dance, Jenna Pollack, and CoGRAVITY Dance. Emily holds a BFA in dance from the Boston Conservatory.
AMBER SLOAN is a choreographer, performer, teacher, curator, and producer. Her work has been presented by Centro Cultural Los Talleres in Mexico City, The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, Dance on the Lawn, EstroGenius Festival, DanceNow Festival, among others. She performs with The Bang Group and teaches dance composition at The Ailey School. Amber is the Assistant Executive Director of Arts On Site, co-director of Women in Motion, and serves on the advisory board of Art Omi: Dance. She holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she was honored with the 2015 Beverly Blossom/Carey Erickson Alumni Dance Award. Description: Poor Man’s Scenario began during the Stay At Home order as Amber was confined with all the stuff in her tiny, studio apartment. The household objects became familiar and friendly but taunting, animated, and life-like. Special thanks to Shado for the use of her toy.
EMILY TELLIER (they/she) is a queer dance artist originally from North Vancouver, currently residing in New York, NY. they have performed in various festivals and venues including Central Park’s Summerstage, Judson Church, 92nd St. Y, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, New York City Center, Ladies of Hip Hop Festival, and the Vancouver International Dance Festival, to name a few. emily has worked with many companies in New York and Vancouver such as Stefanie Nelson Dancegroup, Movement of the People Dance Company, 277 Dance Project, Summation Dance, Thryn Saxon, Elisa Schreiber, and Heather Laura Gray. through her work as Lead Actionist and Senior Community Action Manager at Gibney, emily works with young people to prevent violence and promote healthy relationships using dance, and facilitates movement workshops to survivors of gender-based violence and their children at shelters across the city. www.emilynantellier.com
Covid-19 Protocols
Arts On Site is enforcing COVID-19 restrictions. Each performance is located in Arts On Site's large space, Studio 3R, with an air filter. The stage is set up in a proscenium style with a clear division between the artist and the audience. Seating is limited and the front row of seating is set at least 10 feet from the stage. Additional safety measures include:
Limited occupancy at each event, with only 34 audience members total at one time
Hand hygiene stations provided on site
Requirements that audience members are masked and performers be vaccinated
Signage posted throughout the location to remind personnel and visitors to adhere to proper hygiene practices, use PPE appropriately, and follow disinfection protocols
Designation of a site safety monitor whose responsibilities include continuous compliance with all aspects of the site safety plan
Only selling tickets online only prior to the event, with no tickets sold at the door
All visitors are required to:
Arrive at least 15 minutes before performance (6:15 & 8:15pm)
Complete COVID-19 questionnaire (listed below)
Complete safety waiver
Wear appropriate face covering
Sanitize hands upon arrival
Visitors are not allowed entry if they answer “yes” to any of the following questions:
Have you had COVID-19 symptoms in the past 14 days?
Have you had a positive COVID-19 test in the past 14 days?
Have you been in close contact with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case in the past 14 days?
About Arts on Site
Arts On Site is a women-led nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to create and perform new work. Arts On Site began as an event to showcase artists. The event was an initiative from professional artists Chelsea Ainsworth, Kyle Netzeband, and Adrian Rosas, to connect artists from multiple art forms. As the event grew, a diverse community of artists grew and the concept for Arts On Site was born. For more information, visit artsonsite.org.