Disposable Bodies, an interdisciplinary performance choreographed by Silvana Cardell, associate professor of dance and director of the dance program at Georgian Court University, has shown once again that its message of justice for all living things is not disposable. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently announced a $10,000 grant to Philadelphia Dance Projects to support Disposable Bodies, for which Ms. Cardell received a Guggenheim Fellowship this year. It was also a New England Foundation for the Arts National Dance Project finalist.
In Disposable Bodies, Ms. Cardell asks the audience to consider how bodies—both human and nonhuman—are treated. It’s the type of thought-provoking work the NEA supports through Grants for Arts Projects funding—“artistically excellent projects that celebrate our creativity and cultural heritage, invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values, and enrich humanity.”
“Funding from the NEA, the Guggenheim Foundation, and other organizations gives artists the support needed to present creative works that address important social issues of our day,” said Ms. Cardell, artistic director of the Philadelphia-based Cardell Dance Theater and a multi-award winning choreographer, dancer, and educator.
A combination of movement, installation, sound, sculpture, and live video, Disposable Bodies will premiere at Taller Puertorriqueño in Philadelphia this October and will be co-presented by Philadelphia Dance Projects.