Social Distance Hall

SOCIAL! the social distance dance club

David Byrne
Christine Jones
Steven Hoggett

Social Distance Hall

SOCIAL! the social distance dance club

David Byrne
Christine Jones
Steven Hoggett

April 9, 2021 - April 22, 2021

Wade Thompson Drill Hall

SOCIAL! the social distance dance club, commissioned by the Armory for its Social Distance Hall, is a new interactive and experiential movement piece conceived by choreographer Steven Hoggett, Tony Award-winning set designer Christine Jones—both of whom are currently Armory Artists-in-Residence—and multimedia artist and musician David Byrne (Talking Heads, David Byrne’s American Utopia on stage and film, and Reasons to be Cheerful). With a playlist curated by Byrne, Hoggett, and Jones and mixed by New York City DJ Natasha Diggs, SOCIAL! invites participants to the Armory’s Wade Thompson Drill Hall to dance in their own socially distanced spotlights, all while listening to a wonderfully singular instructional voice over by David Byrne with choreography by Yasmine Lee. Moving free-form or in sync with the spoken choreography, audience members take part in a communal moment of cathartic release.

Performances

Previews
Friday, April 9–Sunday, April 11, 2021
Performances
Tuesday, April 13–Thursday, April 22, 2021

Run Time

SOCIAL! is approximately 55 minutes with no intermission. This is a solitary participatory dance experience unsuitable for children under 10. Strobe and intense flashing lights will be used during this experience.

“It was nothing but pure fun again, and it felt more precious than it ever had.”

Vogue

“Eyes closed and inhibitions loose, I felt a sensation I hadn’t experience since the pandemic shut down…total release. It’s a transcendent experience…You lose yourself, and there’s an ecstatic feeling to losing yourself.”

New York Magazine

“The goal was not just to be merely transported. It was akin to re-entry— back into the atmosphere, back into livable life, back into a world of performances and strangers and dancing IRL, even if barely within earshot.”

Vanity Fair

Gallery

Patrons participate in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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Patrons participate in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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Patrons participate in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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Patrons participate in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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Patrons participate in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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Karine Plantadit (DJ Mad Love) in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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David Byrne with audience members in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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Patrons participate in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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Patrons participate in SOCIAL! the social distance dance club at Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Stephanie Berger

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