Madelaine Burnett is busy. Hopping from her company job with Alison Cook Beatty Dance to projects around the city, Burnett is one dancer with no shortage of work. When the Covid-19 Pandemic hit over two years ago, dance companies shuttered– in some cases shut down altogether–and rehearsal spaces closed. Burnett, who was dancing with the Martha Graham Dance Company’s second company, Graham 2, in New York City, finished the performance season online like so many other artists.
Instead of relegating her work to the confines of the Zoom screen, she decided to expand her repertoire to the outside world. First by focusing on her own choreography, then gradually expanding to work with other artists as the world gradually came back together, Burnett turned the shuttered world of dance into an opportunity to take modern dance back to its roots: to the streets.
First by focusing on her own choreography, then gradually expanding to work with other artists as the world gradually came back together, Burnett turned the shuttered world of dance into an opportunity to take modern dance back to its roots: to the streets.
Modern dance is grounded in New York. Though most recognizable forms are codified in studios and associated with formality, modern dance began with inspiration drawn from the everyday. Contrary to its classical counterpart, ballet, modern dance is the attempt to embody ordinary bodies and everyday movement. Its choreography belongs to the nature it attempts to mirror.
Burnett began by branching into the choreographer’s realm. Inspired by the movement of modern dance giants such as Paul Taylor and Martha Graham, Burnett created her works set against the backdrop of New York City streets. Her first project, Dance Friends, developed together with fellow dancer Jeffrey Shirbraun, highlights the beauty of downtown New York. It features well-known spaces like the Brooklyn Bridge, and showcases the brick-built architecture of an older New York.
Burnett discusses the process of creation; “some of the most joyful moments were when we were scrambling and trying to put together work- which happened to be outside. Trying to time choreography with the flow of traffic and trains, running across the city in sneakers and leotards.” Burnett channeled this energy into other projects that center dance in the pedestrian world, including in a Horton-technique inspired piece choreographed by Choreo King (@Choreoking_), a choreographer whose work specifically features New York artists and portrays the diversity and range of the city’s landscape. Two dancers–Burnett dressed in white– perform across the steps leading up to Lincoln Center. While tickets for the programs running inside the theater are steeply priced, this performance outside on the steps is free.
Burnett discusses the process of creation; “some of the most joyful moments were when we were scrambling and trying to put together work- which happened to be outside. Trying to time choreography with the flow of traffic and trains, running across the city in sneakers and leotards.”
Most recently, Burnett performed with Alison Cook Beatty Dance in the 16th annual Dance Parade and Festival: Back to the Streets for 2022, a parade that features more than 100 styles and attracts thousands of viewers. Though more traditional indoor dance venues are opening now, Burnett states that “the parade is a reminder of the ample opportunity given by outdoor performance to collaborate with artists one wouldn’t typically have the chance. It also serves as a reminder that bringing dance outside makes it more accessible.” She plans to continue dancing and collaborating with local artists with the aims of making modern dance available to all.
You can find Madelaine Burnett on instagram @maddsthebadds and on YouTube @MaddieBurnett .
Photo Credits in Gallery Below
