Green Space Presents TAKE ROOT With Kaley Pruitt Dance | Laura Neese / Dance Projects

Green Space has announced a diverse roster of artists for its signature programs. Take Root will present an evening of work by Kaley Pruitt Dance & Laura Neese / Dance Projects on May 31st and June 1st at 8pm and Fertile Ground showcases works-in-progress by Claudia Logi Dance Project, Earthworks, Bri Vigorito, Yona Lavie, Melange` Rhythms, and Elizabeth Buchheister on June 2nd at 7pm.

TAKE ROOT, now in its 15th season, nurtures dance artists at established stages in their careers, pairing them in a split bill or full evening-length program. This monthly series supports dance makers' experimentation and growth by providing our venue, Green Space, along with full technical and marketing support to present their work to the NYC public.

About the Works

Kaley Pruitt Dance

As I absorbed the shock of Russia invading Ukraine in 2022, I sought to make any sense of the aggression and atrocities against the Ukrainian people. Through research, I began to see Russians as many stories of self-preservation and denial, trust and distrust, love and loyalty, propaganda and truth, and levels of fighting back inside a system of control. I was drawn to the lived reality of existing inside pervasive propaganda and the acts of subversive protest. It was especially important to me to highlight the stories of protest during this time of global upheaval. The title, нет войне means “no to war” in Russian. This work is an anti-war statement in support of Ukraine, and it's also a work to help us reflect on our own culture, media consumption, and right to protest.

Laura Neese / Dance Projects

In eukrasia (Working Title) Neese draws from her studies of the body in movement and on the dissection table to engage body as subject and matter, exploring its inner workings, function, expression, and the water and fibrous animal stuff that make us all. Through a combination of improvisational and set choreographic structures, dancers explore functional anatomy, interconnected systems, and cycles related to the human body. Obliquely referencing the Greek notion of the four humours, the work investigates the concept of living architecture, and interrogates how understanding our own human structures can help individuals engage in empathy and community.

About the Artists

Kaley Pruitt

Kaley Pruitt founded her dance company Kaley Pruitt Dance in 2014 in New York City and has created over 30 works for the stage and screen. She is originally from Ketchum, Idaho and is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at SUNY Brockport. She received her MFA in Dance & Choreography from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee where she was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship. She holds her BFA in Dance from Florida State University and was a member of their performing group, Dance Repertory Theatre under the direction of Lynda Davis. Pruitt has been commissioned by Idaho Dance Theatre, Vision of Sound/Society for New Music, Repertory Dance Theatre, Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company, Fem Dance Company, Simantikos Dance Chicago, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and Illinois State University. Additionally, the company has been presented by: NYS DanceForce, Modern American Dance Company (MADCO) Dare to Dance, Rochester Fringe Festival, Austin Dance Festival, ACDA National Conference, Mark DeGarmo Dance, Milwaukee Fringe Festival, WIM Dance Festival, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Dixon Place Theater, Take Root at Green Space, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, Triskelion Arts, Chez Bushwick and The Center for Performance Research, Built on Stilts Martha's Vineyard, The Secret Theater, Ketchum Arts Commission, and Movement Research. Pruitt has also held faculty positions at Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, and Steffi Nossen School of Dance.

Laura Neese

Laura Neese is a dance artist and educator from Staten Island, NY. Neese's stage and site-based choreography investigates the convergence of form, function, expression, and story within the intricate and articulate systems of the human body through a continuum of physical practices that inform one another including choreography, improvisation, somatic practices, and performance. Her work has been presented in venues including Ailey Citigroup Theatre, LUMEN Festival, 92Y, Triskelion Arts, Greenspace, Brooklyn Museum, Singletary Center, and more. In 2022, Neese presented her process “Myotome Movement Patterns” at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science Conference in Limerick, Ireland. She is currently a 2023 PASS Artist in Residence at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.

FERTILE GROUND has supported emerging and established artists for 18 seasons, showcasing the work of over 50 choreographers each year. The non-curated program features six dance makers each evening and includes a post-performance discussion with wine, moderated by Green Space's Artistic Director, Valerie Green.