Dance to Belong: 150 Years of Community Building

Since 1874, dance has played a vital role at 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY), formerly known as 92ST. Y, starting in lower Manhattan and continuing to its present home on Lexington Avenue. This program is based on 92NY’s current exhibition Dance to Belong: A History of Dance at 92NY | An 150th Anniversary Exhibition, on view until October 31, which covers the journey that Agnes De Mille said “made the Y the cradle of the modern dance movement.” During the 1930s, it became a place of refuge, offering access to studios, classes, performances, lectures, and poetry to immigrants and artists. The scene challenged the emerging modern dance field to incorporate both cultural and national diversity. Dr. Ninochka Bennahum, scholar, historian, and curator, will share this history with archival films and photographs.