Buglisi's '9/11 Table of Silence' Set for Lincoln Center, 9/11

Artistic Director Jacqulyn Buglisi and Buglisi Dance Theatre are honored to be welcomed back by Lincoln Center for a fifth presentation of the transcendent "9/11 Table of Silence," a public tribute to 9/11 and prayer for peace, conceived and choreographed by Jacqulyn Buglisi in collaboration with Italian visual artist Rossella Vasta. The tribute will take place Friday September 11, beginning at 8:15 AM and concluding at 8:46 AM, the moment when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower.

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, 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."

Mira Kim, a notation specialist from the Dance Notation Bureau, will capture the 9/11 Table of Silence in Labanotation as it is taught and rehearsed for this year's performance at Lincoln Center. The completed notation, in development, will allow the "Table" to continue in free public settings and in schools to promote understanding and peace as well as to assist, wherever there is need, in healing.

Since the inaugural tribute in 2011, more than 600 dancers, musicians and volunteers have participated in the 9/11 Table of Silence, and over 30,000 people in 45 states and 82 countries have viewed this living memorial to peace via live stream. The "Table" 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. Earlier this year, 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:
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; Film Presentations at the Global Summit 2012 in London, and the Cardinal Stritch University at the presentation to Rossella Vasta of a Doctor of Humane Letters Honorary Degree. This summer will see a cross-cultural residency and performances in Umbria Italy in partnership with the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, the Pieve International School, and the Royal Academy of Dance in Perugia. In September, a performance ceremony will take place in Rome at the altar of peace in the Museo dell'Ara Pacis.

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; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature.

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