Join visionary dancer and multimedia artist Edisa Weeks and legendary performer Nona Hendryx for an inspiring conversation on the future of art, activism, and radical storytelling.
Exploring the intersection of pedagogy as praxis, this dynamic discussion will delve into how art can be both a transformative educational tool and a powerful agent of social change.
Moderated by Gayle Fekete, Professor of Professional Practice at The New School's College of Performing Arts, the event will reflect on the ways in which performance and creative practice can challenge dominant narratives and inspire collective action.
Pedagogy as Praxis invites guests to be in conversation with New School faculty to explore liberatory education, critical pedagogy, and new and transformative ways of teaching and learning as a collective. Originating from Paulo Freire's work on critical pedagogy, pedagogy as praxis sees education as a dialogic, collaborative process where teachers and learners together reflect on their experiences, analyze them critically, and take conscious steps to apply what they've learned to effect change.
Curated by Assistant Professor of Literary Studies and Provost Faculty Fellow, Gabrielle Williams, with support from the Provost's Office.
IIn the spirit of two fisted political singer songwriters such as, Nina Simone, and Joni Mitchell, Nona Hendryx tackles social issues, love and politics with a smoky vocal tessitura somewhere between funk and the end of the stratosphere. Hendryx’s legendary career spans six decades of sound and style evolution. Initially gaining fame as a member of the groundbreaking group Labelle, Hendryx’s powerful voice and stage presence helped shape the sound of the 1970s. Labelle's iconic hit "Lady Marmalade" solidified their place in pop culture, but Hendryx’s solo work revealed her deeper experimental side. As a solo artist, she embraced a mix of genres such as rock, R&B, funk, and electronic music, consistently pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to be a female artist in a male-dominated industry.
Edisa Weeks is a choreographer, educator, and director of DELIRIOUS Dances, and creates intimate environments that merge theater with dance to address issues in society. Described by The New York Times as having “a gift for simple but striking visual effects,” her work has been performed in a variety of venues including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (NYC), Dance Place (DC), Works & Process at the Guggenheim Museum (NYC), Harlem Stage (NYC), Kelly Strayhorn Theater (PA), and The Kennedy Center (DC), as well as on sidewalks, in storefront windows, and multiple living rooms, including living rooms in Berlin Germany as part of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations.
Gayle Fekete is Professor of Professional Practice at The New School NYC. She is very excited to be serving in leadership and guiding the MFA -Contemporary Theatre and Performance which is now fully housed with three interdisciplinary cohorts. Gayle recently co-facilitated CAMPING! an interdisciplinary dance exchange with Parsons Paris in summer of 2023. She is the instigator of feketePROJECTS, a collective performance platform working with numerous local experimenters and risk takers. feketePROJECTS is invested in movement centered performance practice and installation.
Gayle has been widely associated and connected to the Los Angeles community, but more recently she is based in NYC. She has been in partnership with Urban Bush Women NYC as guest artist and consultant on numerous residencies, Choreographic Centre Initiative, and creative convenings. Fekete has presented and produced several works and immersive performance projects and facilitated numerous CSU Summer Arts Dance intensives with recognized performing artists in the field. She is a creative consultant/dramaturg for independent performance practices. Gayle is also an independent freelance movement-maker who performs with FEK-MAC, Mechanism Dance Theatre, Fools Fury Theatre, and The Market
Gallery Studio in Los Angeles.
Committed to amplifying diverse voices, The New School offers more than a thousand public programs and events each year, providing fresh perspectives and unique learning opportunities. These lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and performances feature prominent and emerging artists, activists, and thought leaders. Be sure to visit our Events Calendar to see the full roster.
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