Please join us for a free public showing featuring a diverse group of artists and scholars, including dancers from New York City Ballet, who will present their discoveries from a yearlong workshop exploring the many meanings of silence. This presentation will take the form of a performative new work in the SANAA-designed Sanctuary—a glass-enclosed amphitheater. 

Practicing Silence considers silence as inner stillness, silence as present absence, and silence as negated voices of the oppressed. The work is being developed in response to poet Ilya Kaminsky's unpublished manuscript Deaf Republic, as well as and lectures and writings by scholar Peter Bouteneff of the Arvo Pärt Project at St. Vladimir's Seminary. The creative team includes: choreographer Silas Farley, dancers Rachel Hutsell, Ghaleb Kayali, Claire Kretzschmar, and Lars Nelson of the New York City Ballet, and dancer Cassia Wilson of Ballet Austin; composer and sound designer Pornchanok Kanchanabanca; bassist and cellist Noah Jackson with The Ase Quartet; pianist and drummer Julius Rodriguez; poet Ilya Kaminsky; and scholar and author Peter Bouteneff. 

Practicing, the signature program of the Foundation’s Arts Initiative, is led by Kenyon Victor Adams, Arts Initiative Director and a performance artist, director, and poet.The ongoing series brings together individuals working at the intersection of the visual, literary, and performing arts to examine universal subjects, such as empathy, awe, and now silence. These collaborative, site-specific works are shared with the public following an extended workshop at Grace Farms. Practicing began in February of 2016 with Practicing Empathy featuring Bill T. Jones, followed by Practicing Awe featuring Andrea Miller of Gallim Dance in July. Short documentaries are available at gracefarms.org/arts. Practicing Joy is scheduled for 2018.

Portions of this program are intended for visitors twelve years and older; parents who plan to attend with young children are encouraged to exercise their discretion.