Buglisi's 9/11 TABLE OF SILENCE Returns to Lincoln Center

Artistic Director Jacqulyn Buglisi and Buglisi Dance Theatre are honored to be welcomed back by Lincoln Center for a 7th annual presentation of the transcendent "9/11 Table of Silence Project," a public performance tribute to 9/11 and prayer for peace and healing, conceived and choreographed by Jacqulyn Buglisi. The tribute will take place Monday September 11, beginning at 8:15 AM and concluding precisely at 8:46 AM, the moment when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. Buglisi was inspired to create the 9/11 Table of Silence by Italian visual artist Rossella Vasta's sculptural installation of 100 ceramic plates that represent a banquet table uniting humanity. Given the unrelenting and tragic acts of terror and violence that continue in the world, "9/11 Table of Silence" remains as relevant and timely today as when it was first performed seven years ago at Lincoln Center.

In partnership with Dance/NYC and The September Concert, Buglisi Dance Theatre brings together 100+ dancers, selected from major dance companies and professional institutions including The Ailey School, Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Juilliard School, Steps on Broadway, among many others. Moving to the minimal plaintive cries of the singers, echoes of the flute and conch, and the ritualistic beat of the tympani - a metaphor for the heartbeat - the dancers ascend onto the Josie Robertson Plaza forming patterns of concentric circles to create a Peace labyrinth while encircling the Revson Fountain, symbolizing eternity, purity, and the continuous life cycle. This sacred landscape becomes filled with the transcendent energy of the Mandala, connecting dancers and viewers to the healing rituals of the natural world. At precisely 8:46 AM, the dancers will turn their wrists with open palms and extend their arms to the sky for one minute, evoking the simple gesture of universal peace. Spectators are invited to join in this ritual.

Jacqulyn Buglisi believes passionately that art can advance social justice and, indeed, in the 9/11 Table of Silence, both performers and audiences experience the power of community through art. In the choreographer's words: "Today, as these courageous artists express their passion for peace, striking the earth with their heels...moving in meditative rhythms of the heartbeat...we behold a sacred landscape." Mayor de Blasio echoes this sentiment with his statement: "This public ceremony is broadcast to viewers around the world, using the power of movement to pay respect and show renewed commitment to building a brighter future."

Dance/NYC's executive director Lane Harwell feels that the work has special relevance today, noting that enduring annual tributes, from a Tribute in Light installations seen from all corners of the city, to the site-specific Table of Silence 911, streamed to thousands online, pay homage to lives lost on September 11th. They also serve as poetic calls for freedom and peace that gain new meaning with every passing terror attack across the globe and with every new audience that they reach.

In 2015, the Dance Notation Bureau's notation specialist Mira Kim captured the 9/11 Table of Silence in Labanotation. This major development now assures the preservation of the "Table" and makes this moving ritual available for restagings by professional companies, universities and schools around the U.S. and the world.

Since the inaugural tribute in 2011, more than 1000 dancers, musicians and volunteers have participated in the 9/11 Table of Silence Project, and over 60,000 people in 50 states and 121 countries have viewed this living memorial to peace via live stream. The "Table of Silence Project" has been recognized by Proclamations from Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Consul General of Italy in New York, Ms. Natalia Quintavalle, and was granted the patronage of UNESCO World Heritage by Mayor Claudio Ricci of Assisi. In 2014, Dance/NYC named Jacqulyn Buglisi a "New Yorker for Dance" for her inspired work building community through dance.

Buglisi's "9/11 Table of Silence" has been embraced around the world, inspiring numerous similar events, including: Film Presentation at the Museo dell'Ara Pacis in Rome in 2016 and at the Global Summit 2012 in London; The University of California/Santa Barbara, which performed "Table of Silence Project" in 2016 to honor the student victims of the Isla Vista attack. USCB Chancellor Henry Yang expressed his gratitude for the event in a note to Jacqulyn Buglisi: "Thank you for helping us to memorialize and honor the precious live we lost through the healing energy of this special performance."

Syracuse University's Wall of Remembrance in tribute to the thirty-five Syracuse University students who lost their lives in the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie; Cathedral San Rufino Square in Assisi, Italy as part of a gathering of religious leaders welcomed by Pope Benedict XVI on the 25th anniversary of a day-long prayer for peace, initiated in 1986 by Pope John Paul II amid Cold War conflicts; Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Event in NYC, to bring awareness to the fight against human trafficking; a cross-cultural residency and performances in Umbria Italy on II Giorno del Perdono (The Day of Forgiveness) in partnership with the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, the Pieve International School, and the Royal Academy of Dance in Perugia. The 9/11 Table of Silence is made possible with the generous leadership support of Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation. Buglisi Dance Theatre gratefully acknowledges funding provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; Heinz Family Foundation; Caroline Howard Hyman & Edward S. Hyman, Jr; Kickstarter individual backers, and public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Sponsorship for the iconic 9/11 Table of Silence ceramic plates, designed by Rossella Vasta, is generously provided by Bizzirri Ceramic Factory in Citta di Castello, Italy ( www.bizzirri.it ). The 100+ mantels for the dancers are by Alessanjdro Gherardi, Citta di Castello - Perugia, Italy ( www.bizzirri.it ). www.buglisidance.org or www.tableofsilence.org ;

The Josie Robertson Plaza is wheelchair accessible from the 62nd Street drop-off points, or the Avery Fisher Hall entrance ramp on the corner of 65th Street and Columbus Avenue. Accessible restrooms are located on the Plaza level of Avery Fisher Hall.

photo by Terri Gold