CUNY Dance Initiative

(50% off code ⬇️) PERFORMANCES START TODAY! @gersonlanzataps_ , one of tap’s most exciting rising artists, brings his acclaimed dance-theater work "To Dance Is To Be Free" to Manhattan for just TWO performances. MAY 14-15 | 7:30PM @ccnycitycollege 's @ccnyartscenter Blending explosive tap, live music, and spoken word, this immersive experience transforms rhythm into resistance—exploring race, immigration, identity, and liberation with breathtaking physicality and emotional force. USE CODE ToBeFree for 50% off (only $12.50 tickets!) GET TICKETS NOW: [link in bio] eventbrite.com/e/to-dance-is-to-be-free-featuring-gerson-lanza-tickets-1984461745501 Featuring @kneeheartco 's Orlando Hernandez, Asha Griffith, @_izaiahharris , @camilacortinamusic , @marcellocardillo1 and @gregory_richardson_ . Powerful storytelling. Virtuosic dancing. Limited seats. Secure yours now. Video by @guarinoamy #tapdance #tapdancers #artistinresidence #nycdance #nycdancers

The Afro-Taíno futurist world of “Too Soon to Discover Planets, Too Late to Discover Islands” took shape at our theater this weekend, with a focus on the project’s Part III. Following this visually striking performance, creators Orlando Hernández and @kneeheartco invited audiences into their creative process through a live post-show feedback and Q&A session. Special thanks to @cdi_dance for helping bring this unique tap dance-theater experience to Hostos Center. We can’t wait to welcome these performers back to our theater for their production’s full premiere next year, so stay tuned for updates if you want to catch the piece in full.  📸 Larophoto  #hostoscenter #cunydanceinitiative #tapdance #nycdance

50% OFF CODE BELOW! Experience the power of rhythm, resistance, and storytelling in "To Dance Is To Be Free" by a tap artist on the rise, @gersonlanzataps_ . Through explosive tap, live music, and spoken word, this immersive performance transforms dance into testimony, exploring race, immigration, identity, and what it means to move freely in America today. Featuring @kneeheartco 's Orlando Hernandez, Asha Griffith, @_izaiahharris , @camilacortinamusic , @marcellocardillo1 and @gregory_richardson_ . MAY 14-15 | 7:30PM @ccnycitycollege 's @ccnyartscenter USE CODE ToBeFree for 50% off (only $12.50 tickets!) GET TICKETS NOW: [link in bio] eventbrite.com/e/to-dance-is-to-be-free-featuring-gerson-lanza-tickets-1984461745501 Originally from Honduras, Lanza has headlined The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, performed at @nycitycenter in a program curated by tap legend @ayolives , and developed work through residencies at @jacobspillow , @lincolncenter , @guggenheim , and @strathmorearts . Photo credits: Margot Schulman, MK Ford, Matthew Murphy #tapdance #tapdancers #artistinresidence #nycdance #nycdancers

We have been committed to be this work for sometime now. We would love to have your higher vibration in the room to share energy, healing, and reflection. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU! To dance is to be free #tapdancer #tapin #love #amor #dance

“To Dance is to be Free “ Aron Davis Hall Performing Arts Center. May 14 & 15 @ 7:30PM. Live music|Spoken word| tap dance|

FREE ON SATURDAY! @kneeheartco 's visually arresting mix of tap, theater and mask work draws from years of creation at @nylivearts , @cprnyc , @thenewhousecenter and, most recently, with @worksandprocess at @bridgestreettheatre as seen in this video. Caribbean memory, Taíno cosmologies, and colonial myths collide on stage in Knee Heart Connection's "Too soon to discover planets, too late to discover islands", followed by a dynamic Q&A. SATURDAY, MAY 9 at 7:30PM @hostoscollege @hostoscenter Bronx, NYC FREE w/ RSVP [link in bio] eventbrite.com/e/orlando-hernandez-the-knee-heart-connection-free-event-tickets-1985827163503 Video excerpt by Becca Marcela Oviatt #tapdance #taino #carribbean #nycdance #tapdancers

Meet the vision behind the show “Too Soon to Discover Planets, Too Late to Discover Islands,” coming to our theater on May 9 with support from @cdi_dance . Interview by @stagewhisperpod .   An Orlando Hernandez and @kneeheartco Production. 🌟Saturday, May 9 at 7:30PM 🎟️Free Entry | RSVP at our link in bio. 📍Hostos Center, 450 Grand Concourse, Bronx NY #hostoscenter #tapdance #nycdance #cunydanceinitiative #caribbeanart

Day 1 of residency @ccnycitycollege @cdi_dance

Ahead of his showing THIS SATURDAY at @hostoscenter , Orlando Hernández digs deep into the lineage behind his work with @kneeheartco for @cafeconpampodcast . In a candid conversation, he opens up about his journey with OCD, redefining masculinity and using tap and masks to honor Afro-Indigenous legacies. LEARN MORE: cafeconpam.com/the-pour-over/196 SEE THE WORK IN PROGRESS Caribbean and Taino stories collide with colonial myths in Knee-Heart Co’s "too soon to discover planets, too late to discover islands". WHEN: Saturday, May 9 @ 7:30pm WHERE: @hostoscollege | Bronx, NYC FREE with RSVP: [link in bio] eventbrite.com/e/orlando-hernandez-the-knee-heart-connection-free-event-tickets-1985827163503 #bronxart #tapdance #nycdance #caribbean #artistinterview

COMING SOON! Tap becomes testimony. Rhythm becomes resistance. Joy becomes rebellion. @gersonlanzataps_ "To Dance Is To Be Free", is an immersive night art and advocacy. Through live music, spoken word, and percussive dance, Lanza turns every step into a story about Blackness and American society at large. MAY 14-15, 2026 | 7:30PM @ccnycitycollege 's @ccnyartscenter GET TICKETS: [link in bio] eventbrite.com/e/to-dance-is-to-be-free-featuring-gerson-lanza-tickets-1984461745501 A powerhouse on the rise, Lanza has developed work at @lincolncenter , @jacobspillow , as well as with CDI alum @musicfromthesole . Gersen earned his Masters from @univofmaryland , where he focused on the Afro-Latinx diaspora. Video by @guarinoamy #tapdance #tapdancers #artistinresidence #nycdance #nycdancers

For the latests Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper, we welcomed on the creator Orlando Hernàndez, to talk about his latest work, Too soon to discover planets, too late to discover islands (Part III). This was such a beautiful and exciting piece of dance, that just like this conversation, should not be missed. So hit play and reserve your seat today! @jaymichaelsglobal #stagewhisperpod #asheardonstagewhisper #toosoontodiscoverplanetstoolatetodiscoverislandspartiii #cunydanceinitiative #Indietheatre supportartists supportfriends spring2026 CUNY Dance Initiative Presents Too soon to discover planets, too late to discover islands (Part III) May 9th at 7:30pm @ Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture Admission is free with RSVP To RSVP and to find more information visit /e/orlando-hernandez-the-knee-heart-connection-free-event-tickets-1985827163503 And be sure to follow Orlando to stay up to date on all his upcoming projects and productions: orlyhernandez.com @kneeheartco

TONIGHT // Friends, Fam, and Fellow Wanderers, we're finally here! TONIGHT is our 2026 NYC Season! Tickets in bio for our ONE NIGHT ONLY Performance!  Presented by CUNY DANCE INITIATIVE, catch THREE PIVOTAL REPERTORY WORKS from across the company’s 12-year history, all inspired by various aspects of the Japanese language and culture: SAFE HARBOR (NYC PREMIERE!): our 2024 collaboration with Japanese choreographer Toru Shimazaki, created through a United States-Japan Friendship Commission Creative Artist Fellowship E.X.P.L.O.D.E: a dramatic solo by Artistic Director Cameron McKinney inspired by the 1988 film AKIRA, and that was performed in the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Tokyo, Japan in 2020 BREAD AND CIRCUS: our newest creation, inspired by visual artist Oscar Oiwa’s DREAMS OF A SLEEPING WORLD installation.  Photos by ELYSE MERTZ SHOW PERFORMERS include @isabelerosso @lesarjunior @jj.osp1 @ericblovits @thugginoutmydyingera @jjburlage @emilyaslin @rach_cala and guest performers @oliviaholston @bella.donatelli @k8perkinss @fallonbrackley Also featuring Lighting Design by Michael Abbatiello @_drop_themike and costumes by Zhenya Dolgova @pulpn0nfiction @cdi_dance #kizunadance #dance #nagaretechnique #floorworkmakesyourcorework #floorwork