Bank Vault

30 Minute webcast includes introduction from Artistic Director Chris Elam, Misnomer’s newest work-in-progress, an excerpt from Too Late Tulip, and Chris’s closing comments. Thank you for joining us today!

       

We know a lot of people are down on Wall Street these days, but Misnomer, technically, is down on Wall Street – rehearsing in a BANK VAULT directly next door to the stock exchange! That’s right, behind a 4-foot deep metal door, in a room where millions of dollars once resided, there is a dance floor upon which we are creating a new dance. We figure that the nation has finally realized the priceless commodity of dance!
For those of you who would like a bit more explanation (which may be everyone) – we are the recipients of a unique space grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC). LMCC runs a very cool program where they partner with businesses in Lower Manhattan to provide artists with rehearsal space in locations that are temporarily unused. LMCC built a dance floor and we moved in!
Misnomer Dancer Coco Karol offers insights on the experience of creating new work in the vault:

“Its an extraordinary time to be an artist working on Wall street across from the New York Stock Exchange. The poignancy of the metaphors in this run very deep. And I am reminded of that every day as I go to the studio. As the US and global economy are suffering, the artists are going to keep making art despite it all. Artists, dancers, writers, musicians, we are going to keep doing what we do in some form and capacity. We will make space, dance in bank vaults, get creative about how and where and what, but we will continue to make work. When I am rehearsing in the vault, which is underground, I like to think of the image of Wall st. bankers and tourists walking above an empty bank vault with us dancing below. Where stacks of money and credit used to be stored under high security, there are now bare feet prancing around and exploring the many ways to make meaning out of space.” Read more at Misnomer’s Blog

CREDITS
  
The Bank Vault is made possible by Swing Space, a program of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, generously supported by the September 11th Fund. Project space is donated by Capstone Equities.