World Premiere of Lenora Lee Dance’s “Convergent Waves”

Join South Street Seaport Museum and Lenora Lee Dance for Convergent Waves: NYC, an immersive multimedia free dance event abroad the 1885 tall ship Wavertree! The World Premiere will take place on Saturday, May 25 at 1pm, with additional performances on Saturday, May 25 at 3:30pm; Sunday, May 26, at 1pm and 3:30pm; and Monday, May 27 at 1pm and 3:30pm.

Lenora Lee Dance, celebrates its 15th Anniversary with a collaboration with South Street Seaport Museum, presenting the World Premiere of Convergent Waves: NYC. Come aboard Wavertree, where dance performances will unfold against the backdrop of this historic vessel. Audiences will be brought back in time as they journey throughout the rooms and decks of the three-story vessel experiencing intimate and engaging moments with performers in immersive environments transformed by video projection, recorded original music, and text.

Choreographed by award-winning dancer-choreographer Lenora Lee and the talented performers, this slate of dance vignettes has been created to artfully showcase different areas of the ship, while delving into the rich history of this international cargo vessel—the last of its kind—as well as the people who worked on it. Convergent Waves provides insight into the unseen lives of the laborers who helped to build New York City into the global hub it is today and the unexpected role of the sea as a site for freedom for its time from the racial and gender barriers of the era.

Dance will take place in the massive cargo hold, the forecastle where the crew ate and slept, the captain’s saloon, and more. Sign up today to ensure your spot for a unique experience that weaves together movement, history, and maritime spirit.

The audience will not be seated during the one-hour event and will actively move throughout the ship to witness each site-specific performance. Access to Wavertree involves climbing a few stairs, walking up an angled gangway, and descending a few stairs onto the deck. The lower decks are accessible via stairs, while the upper deck requires navigating steep ladder-like stairs.

In the interest of safety for the dancers, performances will not take place in the rain. Advanced registration is encouraged for this free event but walkups will be accommodated as possible. Visit seaportmuseum.org/convergent-waves for more information.

For the last 15 years Lenora Lee Dance (LLD) has pushed the envelope of intimate and large-scale multimedia, immersive dance performance connecting various styles of movement/dance, film, text, research and music to culture, history, and human rights issues. LLD’s works are set in both public and private spaces, inspired by individual stories as well as community strength. From the proscenium, to even underwater, the company’s pieces are site-responsive and immersive calling audiences into deep engagement with the work and environment. Through partnerships locally and nationally, LLD’s work has grown to encompass the creation, presentation and screening of films, museum and gallery installations, civic engagement, and educational programming signifying the power of art as a movement for change. Visit www.LenoraLeeDance.com to learn more.

Lenora Lee Dance Convergent Waves:NYC, Photo credit Alice Chacon