SEASONAL EVENTS
Kaatsbaan’s programs and capital projects are made possible thanks to the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
THURSDAY
OCTOBER 30
NEW WORK PREVIEw: TRIBE
Thursday, October 30, 6:00 PM
Free General Admission
RSVPs encouraged
75 minutes, includes Q+A
Black Box Theater, Studio Complex
In this open rehearsal, get an intimate glimpse into the making of TRIBE’s newest multidisciplinary work, Marks of RED, featuring six dancers and collaborative designers. A work of magical realism narrated by and featuring viewpoints of six women, Marks of RED continues award-winning choreographer Shamel Pitts’s research exploring Black embodiment, aliveness, and human connection. Marks of RED is an Afrofuturistic meditation on the “womb space,” divining the effect that memory has on our experiences, senses, bodies, reality, and our imaginative possibilities.
The multidisciplinary work includes scenic designs by Mimi Lien, projection lights by Lucca Del Carlo, and production by TRIBE arts collective. The fourth chapter in the RED Series by Pitts, Marks of RED explores the nuanced multiplicity and deep complexity of self-expression, and the perceived spaces for regeneration, enfoldment, implosion, rupture, and potential.
Photo by Alex Apt. Courtesy TRIBE
TRIBE’s mission is cultivating a space of discovery and a platform for artist—most specifically artists of color—with huge inspiration from the Afrofuturism movement. This movement states that we have a responsibility through our work to tell new stories and create a brighter future that is different, and shines more luminously, from our past.
A Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary arts collective, TRIBE was founded by MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellow Shamel Pitts in December 2019. The collective is composed of international and local artists working across mediums such as movement, choreography, digital storytelling, lighting design, video mapping projection, poetry, spoken word, cinematography, scenography, dramaturgy, costume styling, and music composition.
Thursday November 13
New Work Preview: inkboat
A 2025 Baryshnikov Arts Fellowship at
Kaatsbaan Cultural Park Showcase
Thursday, November 13, 6:00 PM
Free General Admission with RSVP
90 minute performance + 15 minute Q&A
Black Box Theater, Studio Complex
inkBoat, a physical theatre and dance company founded by Shinichi Iova-Koga in 1998, performs Clouds from a Crumbling Giant. This choreographic project combines traditional practices of Daoist Internal Arts with inkBoat’s performance-devising practices (rooted in the Japanese avant-garde), delves into the nature and quality of a body nearing the end of its run, and speculates on the afterlife and the tenderness of recognizing fellow travelers.
Shinichi Iova-Koga directs this work in collaboration with Jubilith Moore, Dana Iova-Koga, Dan Cantrell, Ellen Sebastian Chang, the inkBoat company and Hudson Valley residents, playfully touching on the nature of being and non-being.
Photo by Robbie Sweeny
inkBoat describes its company as: Internal arts, physical theater, and dance occupy separate categories. Yet, here we practice all, each in its own container, subtly influencing one another.
Choreographer Sheldon Smith said of inkBoat’s These are the Ones We Fell Among: a captivating, haunting and bizzare dreamscape–like Dr. Seuss meets David Lynch on the last days of a bankrupt circus.
Saturday December 6
CHAMBER MUSIC AMERICA + Kaatsbaan Present: Aimée allen Jazz Quartet
Saturday, December 6, 7:00 PM
$30 General Admission
$15 Students with ID
60 minutes (TBC)
Black Box Theater, Studio Complex
With Chamber Music America, Kaatsbaan presents an evening of jazz performed by Rising Star jazz vocalist (DownBeat’s Critic’s Poll) Aimée Allen with François Moutin (bass), Tony Romano (guitar), and Kenn Salters (drums). In addtion to playing standards and bossa nova, the quartet will perform original songs by Allen, who is also an accomplished composer.
A fully fledged composer, lyricist and vocalist, her ideas are filled with depth and meaning, and her lyrics profoundly unique.
- Constance Tucker, All About Vocals
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, vocalist Aimée Allen's intimate connection with music began with a childhood scored with classic jazz on the family turntable.
Photo by Erika Kapin
After graduation, Aimée moved to Paris where she performed regularly in jazz clubs and festivals. The deep relationship between the francophone audiences and Brazilian bossa nova led Aimée to form Les Bossa Novices, a Paris-based group dedicated to bossa and jazz.
Aimée Allen performs regularly in the New York City area and frequently tours abroad. Her original music has been licensed for feature film and network television. She has sung with renowned jazz musicians including Romero Lubambo, Ron McClure, Roswell Rudd, Ari Hoenig, Joel Frahm, and Yomo Toro. Aimée's latest of six albums, Love & the Catalyst, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Vocal Album in 2023. Also in 2023, Aimée was awarded a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant to write new original music for this quartet.
Chamber Music America, the national network of ensemble music professionals, develops and supports an evolving chamber music field through professional development services, networking events, publications, and grant programs. Founded in 1977 by a small group of musicians determined to create a more sustainable chamber music field, today its membership encompasses musicians, ensembles, presenters, managers, educators, advocates, and others, all representing a wide range of musical styles and traditions, including contemporary and traditional jazz, classical, and folkloric genres.
Fri, Dec 12
Sat, Dec 13
Holidelic
Friday, December 12, 8:00 PM
Saturday, December 13, 8:00 PM
$45 General Admission
90 minutes
Black Box Theater, Studio Complex
Join us for the highly anticipated return of GRAMMY-nominated performer and percussionist Everett Bradley’s HOLIDELIC, a sensational holiday funk revue that will electrify your senses. Critics have raved about HOLIDELIC, describing it as “a flashy, bass-heavy retro-futuristic take on the holidays” (The New Yorker) and “a holiday funk-tacular” (Time Out New York). Bradley, known for his work with Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, takes on the role of Papadelic, Funk’s Father Christmas, an amalgamation of George Clinton and Santa Claus. With original songs and an ensemble of top-notch musicians, HOLIDELIC will transport you to a world where funk meets Christmas joy. Don’t miss this two-day run on December 12 to 13. Get your tickets now for an unforgettable experience that will liven up your holiday festivities with pulsating rhythms and fresh spins on familiar sentiments.
Photo by Mikiodo
Fri, Dec 19
Sat, Dec 20 Sun, Dec 21
nut/cracked
Friday, December 19, 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 20, 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 21, 2:00 PM
$45 General Admission | $30 Students with ID
90 minutes
Black Box Theater, Studio Complex
Join us for Nut/Cracked — The Bang Group’s beloved, witty response to The Nutcracker — returning to Kaatsbaan after sold-out performances last year.
Choreographer David Parker draws inspiration from across the dance spectrum, blending tap, ballet, disco, and even bubble wrap to create a unique performance that reimagines Tchaikovsky’s iconic score.
With renditions ranging from Duke Ellington to Glenn Miller, Nut/Cracked transforms the familiar into something delightfully unexpected. Praised by the New York Times as “immensely entertaining” and “intensely musical,” this production combines humor and artistry in a way that will leave you seeing The Nutcracker in a whole new light.
Photo by Nicholas Burnham