Vangeline Theater Inc

THE VANGELINE THEATER'S MISSION IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT BUTOH DANCE, PROMOTING AN UNDERSTANDING BUTOH DANCE HISTORY AND ITS SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE; TO CONNECT BUTOH TO OTHER ART FORMS AND DISCIPLINES AND TO BUILD COMMUNITY THROUGH BUTOH. BUTOH IS AN AVANT GARDE DANCE WHICH ORIGINATED IN JAPAN IN THE 1950'S. THE COMPANY REACHES OUT TO THE NEW YORK COMMUNITY BY OFFERING PUBLIC BUTOH WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL BUTOH ARTISTS, AS WELL AS TO MEMBERS OF THE INCARCERATED POPULATION, VIA TEACHING BUTOH AT CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN NEW YORK ("THE DREAM A DREAM PROJECT" SINCE 2007). THIS AWARD-WINNING PROJECT CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE REHABILITATION OF NEW YORK'S INCARCERATED POPULATION.

COMMUNITY BUTOH CLASSES AND BUTOH WORKSHOPS OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC: THE VANGELINE THEATER OFFERED 92 BUTOH CLASSES IN 2022. IN TOTAL, 1100 STUDENTS ATTENDED OUR BUTOH CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS IN 2022.

THE "DREAM A DREAM PROJECT: DANCE WORKSHOP FOR INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMEN" IS A PROGRAM WHICH REACHES TO MEMBERS OF THE INCARCERATED POPULATION WEEKLY AT CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN NEW YORK. THE DANCE CLASSES HAVE BETWEEN 8 AND 100 PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED AND INCORPORATE PHYSICAL WARM UPS, RELAXATION EXERCISES AND BUTOH DANCE TRAINING. USING SIMPLE MOVEMENTS AND BASIC DANCE TRAINING FOR BEGINNERS, THIS CLASS PROVIDES A HEALTHY PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL OUTLET TO PARTICIPANTS. NO PRIOR DANCE EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED. EVERY FEW MONTHS, THE INMATES PERFORM IN FRONT OF A MIXED AUDIENCE OF INMATES AND CIVILIANS. A Q&A ENSUES. THE PERFORMANCES ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE PROGRAM, AND PROVIDE THE PARTICIPANTS WITH A UNIQUE CHANCE TO OFFER SOMETHING DEEPLY PERSONAL IN FRONT OF STRANGERS. IN 2016, THIS PROGRAM TOOK PLACE AT EDGECOMBE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND NEW YORK COUNCIL ON THE ARTS. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A NEW OPENNESS TOWARDS OTHERS, A NEW ABILITY TO BOND WITH EACH OTHER, AN INCREASE IN STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, AND A NEW POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. THE CLASS HELPS THEM FACE THEIR IMMINENT RELEASE FROM PRISON WITH HOPE, COURAGE AND DIGNITY. THIS PROGRAM WAS RECENTLY FEATURED ON CNN'S GREAT BIG STORY WITH MILLIONS OF VIEWERS AND 165,000 ONLINE VIEWERS. SUSAN HAMAKER, A WRITER FOR JAPANCULTURE-NYC.COM WHO WITNESSED THE 2013 PERFORMANCE WROTE: "A TRIUMPH" "IN EIGHT SHORT WEEKS VANGELINE THEATER'S DREAM A DREAM PROJECT TRANSFORMED THOSE THREE MEN WHO PERFORMED. IN THIRTY SHORT MINUTES THE FRUITS OF HER LABOR TRANSFORMED AN ENTIRE AUDIENCE."

BUTOH PERFORMANCES OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC. IN 2021, THE VANGELINE THEATER OFFERED 16 BUTOH PERFORMANCES TO THE PUBLIC. PERFORMANCES FEATURED PROFESSIONAL BUTOH DANCERS. A TOTAL OF 2600 VIEWERS WATCHED OUR ONLINE AND IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES.