David Byrne of rock band Talking Heads has launched a social distance dance club in New York City.
SOCIAL! is an interactive movement piece at the Park Avenue Armory-- a collaborative effort by Byrne, Broadway set designer Christine Jones, and choreographer Steven Hoggett.
Moving in individual and distanced circles, 100 guests can let loose in the venue's Wade Thompson Drill Hall at a time. Participants have the option to dance freestyle or observe voiceover choreography spoken by Byrne. The playlist, which was curated by Byrne, Hoggett, and Jones, is mixed by DJ Natasha Diggs, and is sure to keep dancers on their toes and in the party mood.
"The Armory's commitment to supporting and partnering with artists in the creation of new works that are responsive to society is a foundational component of who we are as an organization. The commissioned work that is part of Social Distance Hall exists, not despite of, but because of the pandemic that we have all been living through over the last year."
Founding President and Executive Producer of Park Avenue Armory Rebecca Robertson writes, "with SOCIAL!, we are delighted to invite New Yorkers to come together through a communal, safe, and multisensory experience that draws on the building's acoustics and grand architecture, and the Armory's cross-disciplinary programming mission."
SOCIAL!'s first previews start April 9, and the pop-up experience will be available to the public from April 13 to April 22.