AN EVENING OF AERIAL DANCE

CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY JULIE LUDWICK WITH DANCERS:

CECILIA FONTANESI, MAIA RAMNATH & JULIE LUDWICK

MUSIC BY PAUL UHRY NEWMAN & KEN PIERSON
VIDEO BY CRISTóBAL VIVAR
DRAMATURGY BY JAMES BOSLEY

Aerial company Fly-By-Night Dance Theater will perform Where Shall I Send My Joys? as part of their residency at Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges in September of 2024. This evening-length work is an exploration of cultivating joy found in everyday life, and finding balance given the experience of loss, death, and grief throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Known for its visceral aerial productions, FBN taps the expressive potential of movement and flight to create dances in the air. Where Shall I Send My Joys? is driven by the Buddhist concept that happiness is an emotion we experience, while joy is an attitude we can develop. Seeds for this work came from a very personal place: Artistic Director Julie Ludwick’s sister was diagnosed with a terminal illness just before the pandemic began, and asked her family to “keep looking for joy wherever you find it, and share it with me when you can.” Over the next 16 months, Ludwick kept a journal of small joys while letting go of her sister, who died in May 2021.

In the studio, the creative process for Where Shall I Send My Joys? began with the concept of identifying “everyday joys,” and translating these images or experiences into movement phrases. These expressions of joy are counterbalanced with text about mourning and letting go, taking the audience on a journey of loss, reflection, appreciation, and acceptance.

The work features dancers Cecilia Fontanesi, Maia Ramnath, and Julie Ludwick; with music by composers Paul Uhry Newman and Ken Pierson; video by cinematographer Cristobal Vivar and dramaturgy by James Bosley.

This work was developed through the CUNY Dance Initiative at John Jay College. Additional funding for the residency and performance was provided by the John Jay College Student Activities Association, Inc.. Early drafts of the the work were funded by the New York City