As Dance/NYC's Junior Committee reaches its ten year mark, we are catching up with our incredible alumni to hear about their recent accomplishments and perspectives. Today, we're learning about Kate Ladenheim and her upcoming work for the stage and screen!

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Brief Bio:

I am a choreographer and arts producer. I make tech-y, feminist dances and also spend a lot of time trying to get people to see more dance and think about why it's important. 

Working on now:

I am working on a piece called Glass, about glass ceilings and what happens to women underneath them. It prominently features hoop skirts, meticulous patterns, a few to many step touches, and a continued fight for a seat at the table - all referencing the fight for status, confidence, and attention that women engage in their careers and personal lives. Competitiveness or cattiness play out, too. The women in glass walk  the fine line between standing in solidarity with each other and perpetuating the very misogyny they stand against.

Glass functions as a standalone film series, a film and performance installation, and a live show that's premiering on April 12th and 14th at Triskelion Arts Center! Please come! Tickets here

Years on JComm:

2015-2016

One valuable take-away from your time in JComm:

When I was a member of JComm, I took PISAB's undoing racism workshop. This training enabled the careful understanding of my position as a gatekeeper and provided accountability towards building an anti-racist, anti-ableist ethos that I carry through my body of work. I am really grateful to have had this experience within the context of JComm. 

One change you wish to see made in the NYC dance community:

Just one? I mean, I'd like to see the NYC dance community flooded with money and resources ;-) 

More realistically, I'd like to see more transparency around how presenters and artists are structuring their budgets and spending patterns. I would like for that to be public so people can see what exactly it takes to run companies and artistic initiatives, and also hold individuals and institutions accountable for unfair patterns and practices. 

Finances aren't the only thing that tells a story, but I do think they are telling a very potent story about the stresses and priorities of our industry right now. 

If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?

Given that we have tiny computers now that we hold in our hands and give us access to anything we could possibly ever want to know by clicking a few buttons ... I'm going simple with my superpower. I would want to fly, for no other reason than that I'd be able to f*cking fly.