Never Twenty One - Dance by Smaïl Kanouté Tickets

US Premiere Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 7:30pm FIAF Florence Gould Hall

“A work that walks side by side with death has never felt so vital and alive.” — Karina Buckley, SpringBack Magazine

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement’s #Never21 hashtag, French-Malian choreographer and dancer Smaïl Kanouté’s deeply resonant piece—making its U.S. premiere—pays tribute to young people of color who have lost their lives to gun violence all over the world before reaching the age of 21. The performance, separated into three segments, focuses on the senseless deaths of young Black youth in New York, Johannesburg, and Rio de Janeiro.

Excerpts of powerful testimonies from victims’ family members are transcribed on the dancers’ bodies, combining dance and visual art. The dancers’ intense movement draws on contemporary and intuitive dance, krump, popping, and baile funk in recounting the stories of many broken lives.

Choreographed by Smaïl Kanouté Performed by Smaïl Kanouté, Aston Bonaparte, and Salomon Mpondo-Dicka

Presented by the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) as part of its 2023 Crossing The Line Festival (Sep 8-Oct 13)

Co-presented with New York Live Arts and Villa Albertine, as part of the Albertine Dance Season

Photo Credit: Milano Lorenza Daverio