Francesca Harper

Experience site-specific dance in the Rubin galleries by some of New York’s most inspiring choreographers, presented in partnership with the arts organization Pentacle. The performances will reflect the theme of power, which radiates from our galleries as part of a yearlong exploration of the topic.

On Wednesday, May 8, witness a performance from choreographer Francesca Harper at 6:00 PM, 6:45 PM, or 7:30 PM.

Pentacle’s Dance Series at the Rubin Museum of Art is supported by private funds from Mertz Gilmore Foundation and the Howard Gilman Foundation, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

About the Choreographer

Francesca Harper is an internationally acclaimed, multi-faceted artist. After being named Presidential Scholar in the Arts and performing at the White House her senior year of high school, she joined and performed soloist roles with The Dance Theater of Harlem and later as a Principal Dancer in William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt.

Harper has choreographed works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Tanz Graz, Hubbard Street II, Dallas Black Dance Theater, and her own company, The Francesca Harper Project, which was founded in 2005 and tours internationally. She has appeared in four Broadway productions, with leading roles in Sweet Charity and Sophisticated Ladies. She also served as a Ballet Consultant for the Oscar winning film Black Swan.

Harper is the Artistic Director for the Movement Invention Project and also recently served as Movement Director for Nick Cave’s The Let Go, an exhibit commissioned by the Park Avenue Armory. She was awarded a two-year choreographic fellowship with Urban Bush Women, providing support toward her latest dance-theater work “An Unapologetic Body,” still currently in development.
Her recent engagements include a collaboration with ballerina Wendy Whelan, choreography for a Planned Parenthood video campaign, and a collaboration with Nona Hendryx, Carrie Mae Weems, and Niegel Smith in a new production entitled Refrigerated Dreams at The Public Theater.

About Pentacle

Since 1976, Pentacle has been a model in the arts administration field, enabling performing artists to focus on what they do best—create art and engage with audiences. Pentacle designs and provides unique and robust programs of support for performing artists at critical stages in their careers. At its core, Pentacle believes in the unique and critical role the artist citizen plays in our democracy, and that art and artists inspire people in many communities to understand, articulate, and seek to attain their highest aspirations for the world. At the same time, Pentacle enriches the cultural landscape through cross-sector partnerships in multiple communities across NYC and the U.S.

Image Credit

Photo of Davalois Fearon by Andrew Lee

Photo of Antonio Ramos by Anaya Migel