COVID-19 Dance Worker Narratives Project
In response to the historic Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, from May 2020 to December 2021, the Jerome Robbins Dance Division’s Oral History Project gathered 58 peer-to-peer interviews from across dance communities in NYC and nationally.
The collection documents the unique experience of dance artists and workers during and after their experiences of the nationwide pandemic lockdowns and racial justice protests. This participatory project also gave opportunities for members of the dance community to connect with one another at a time when social limitations on physical gatherings kept people apart.
Interviews ranged in length and topic, but were loosely organized around the following questions:
-
Can you briefly describe your dance practice and career path?
-
Describe the moment(s) when Covid-19 first came into your awareness
-
What were the first few months of the pandemic like for you? How did that change over the course of the year?
-
What has your relationship to dance and/or others in the dance community been like during this time?
-
How did the Black Lives Matter protests influence you as a dance artist or dance worker?
These interviews are currently being processed as of 2023 and will be made publicly accessible on the Library’s online streaming platform: Digital Collections. Until then, special access to individual interviews can be made by appointment.
For questions about the project, contact dance@nypl.org.
Josh Anderson interviewed by Maria Elena Ricci, 2021
Nicole Bindler and Gabrielle Revlock in conversation, 2020
Maria Blanco interviewed by Brady Neher, 2021
Peter Boal interviewed by Tristan Granuum, 2021
J. Bouey interviewed by Emma Rose Brown, 2020
Kara Brody interviewed by Hanna Swartz, 2021
Emma Rose Brown interviewed by Cassie Mey, 2022
Julianne Cariño interviewed by Emma Rose Brown, 2020
Rahila Coats interviewed by Kennedy Alexandria Ward, 2021
Kerrianne Cody interviewed by Kathleen Leary, 2020
Rachel Cohen interviewed by Anabella Lenzu, 2020
Elizabeth (Betsy) Coker interviewed by Diana Crum, 2021
Liana Conyers interviewed by Emma Rose Brown, 2020
Natalie A. Correa interviewed by Kathleen Leary, 2020
Diana Crum interviewed by Jaime Scott, 2021
Sofia Engleman and Em Papineau interviewed by Lesley Farlow, 2021
Elina Ferrigno interviewed by Gina Palmisano, 2022
Rebecca Fitton interviewed by Veronica Jiao, 2021
Leah Fournier and Amelia Koper Jeintzelman in conversation, 2021
Ana Nery Fragoso interviewed by Kathleen Leary, 2020
Christ Funsch interviewed by Julie Mayo, 2021
Catherine Gallant and Charlotte Hendrickson in conversation, 2021
Itzel Herrera Garcia interviewed by Leslie Ann Morales, 2021
Ann-Marie Gover interviewed by Gabriella Titolo, 2021
Derick Grant interviewed by Andrew Nemr, 2020
Tristan Granuum interviewed by Peter Boal, 2021
Amelia Koper Heintzelman interviewed by Leah Fournier, 2021
Gina Hoch-Stall interviewed by Audrey Hartnett, 2021
K.J. Holmes interviewed by Aurora Prelević, 2021
Kathleen Isaac interviewed by Kathleen Leary, 2020
Veronica Jiao interviewed by Rebecca Fitton, 2020
Angel Kaba interviewed by Pooja Uberoi, 2021
Takemi Kitamura interviewed by Ursula Eagly, 2021
Seonagh Kummer interviewed by Lydia Jackson, 2021
Erin Lally interviewed by Kathleen Leary, 2020
Gabrielle Lamb and Miro Magloire in conversation, 2020
Annabella Lenzu interviewed by Lydia Jackson, 2021
Xenia Mansour interviewed by Keturah Otuna Travis, 2021
Amanda Maraist interviewed by Chazarae Murray, 2021
Gabrielle Martinez interviewed by Bobby King, 2021
Julie Mayo interviewed by Liana Conyers, 2021
Cassie Mey interviewed by Susan Kraft, 2022
Daniela Montero interviewed by Lydia Jackson, 2021
Leslie Morales interviewed by Itzel Herrera Garcia, 2021
Mary Moretti interviewed by Lydia Jackson, 2021
Andrew Nemr interviewed by Derick Grant, 2020
Mina Nishimura interviewed by Ursula Eagly, 2021
Jody Oberfelder and David Parker in conversation, 2020
Kay Ottinger interviewed by Ursula Eagly, 2020
Srishti Prabha interviewed by Hallie Chametzky, 2021
Tyler Rai interviewed by Emma Rose Brown, 2021
Aya Saotome interviewed by Lydia Jackson, 2021
Alix Schillaci interviewed by Viktoria Cruz, 2021
Jamie Scott interviewed by Elizabeth (Betsy) Coker, 2021
Tara Sheena interviewed by Emma Rose Brown, 2020
Meghann Wilkinson interviewed by Mary Zabransky, 2021
Halley Willcox interviewed by Lydia Jackson, 2021
Steve Zee interviewed by Stephen Molstad, 2021