SummerStage Anywhere Honors 155th Anniversary of Juneteenth with Digital Day of Dance

Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage's SummerStage Anywhere digital series will honor the 155th Anniversary of Juneteenth, the national commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, with a free digital day of dance this Friday, June 19.

Tribute performances will be presented on SummerStage's Instagram channel throughout the day starting at 12:00PM EST, including an excerpt from RudduR Dance's ballet, "WITNESS". The day will culminate on SummerStage's YouTube channel at 7:00PM EST with panel discussion, Reflecting the Times, led by Hope Boykin of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, followed by a tribute performance of "HANGING TREE", featuring Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Theatre, vocalist Marcelle Davies-Lashley, and poet Carl Hancock Rux. This Juneteenth program was originally programmed as a show for the 2020 SummerStage in-person season schedule and made the transition online.

"As a Black woman in America, I am a direct beneficiary of the struggles and battles for justice and I stand on the shoulders of those who fought and continue to fight for my freedom," shares Danni Gee, Dance Curator and Music Programming Associate for SummerStage. "I am honored to be able to celebrate this important anniversary of Juneteenth in our country's history on SummerStage Anywhere. I am proud to present this program even more so in light of current events and it is crucial to me that the communities we serve know that we stand with them."

Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet (JGCO) Dance Theatre, formerly known as Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn, was founded in 2005 by Jamel Gaines. JGCO is considered one of Brooklyn's premier contemporary dance companies, best known for its riveting, thought-provoking and relatable repertory that includes classical, contemporary and modern styles. In its 25-year history, JGCO has assembled an extensive repertoire, presenting works across the United States and select international cities.

Founded in 2015 by Guggenheim Fellow Christopher Rudd, RudduR Dance aims to better the world through dance. Seen on four continents in its four years, RudduR Dance celebrates its fifth anniversary in June 2020.

For more information about this show, please visit cityparksfoundation.org/events/juneteenth/.

SummerStage Anywhere recently launched "The People Speak," a new crowdsourcing campaign to continue the conversation that started during its inaugural performance, "The People Speak," a collaboration with VOICES. SummerStage invites audiences to share their own voices, offering its social media channels as a platform for expression. To take part in the conversation, audiences may use #PeopleSpeakSundays and #SummerStageAnywhere when posting. SummerStage Anywhere will feature a selection of those posts each Sunday throughout the summer, highlighted as part of the "The People Speak" campaign.

UPCOMING SUMMERSTAGE ANYWHERE PERFORMANCES

On Wednesday, June 24 at 7:00PM EST, native New Yorker and pop phenom MAX will deliver a special performance to SummerStage audiences. Called a "Young Pop God" by GQ, MAX was named a "top popstar to watch" by Billboard and was nominated for "Best New Pop Artist" at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards. The Billboard top-pop star's double platinum hit single "Lights Down Low" earned half a billion streams globally. The performance will premiere on the SummerStage YouTube channel.

Closing out June programs is Grammy Award-winning Beninese singer-songwriter, actress and activist Angélique Kidjo. SummerStage alumna Kidjo will bring her Afropop world fusion sound to an exclusive performance on the SummerStage YouTube channel, on Friday, June 26 at 7:00PM EST.

Beginning in July, SummerStage Anywhere will be home to a one-of-a-kind digital festival highlighting genres that were born in or deeply represent New York -- hip hop, salsa, jazz, global, indie, contemporary dance. The summer series will include weekly content segments including interviews with and performances by iconic artists, neighborhood tours with artists, and arts engagement for youth. For a full schedule of upcoming programming, please visit summerstageanywhere.org.

For ongoing updates on SummerStage Anywhere as well as SummerStage programs, please continue to visit summerstageanywhere.org.