Foremost in her mind, she said, was the knowledge that dancers around the country were sitting idle, even as their colleagues across the Atlantic were beginning to return to work. The national soul-searching touched off by the killing of George Floyd in police custody further intensified the sense of urgency. Their input influenced all aspects of the festival, from the curation of programs, to the selection of dancers, and the inclusion of new works by Mr. Knight, Mr. Royal, and others. “This is a great example of how Black voices don’t have to be siloed,” Ms. Graf Mack said. “Their voices can be woven through the work of different artists of various backgrounds.

Source: New York Times July 29, 2020 13:52 UTC