Heidi Latsky Dance

Conception and direction:
Heidi Latsky

Fashionwear:
Anna Kathleen Little

Wearable Art:
Rosa Weinberg and NuVu Studios

Wardrobe:
Jillian Hollis 
Amelia Whitney

Performers:
Quemuel Arroyo (Sept 20 only)
Sabrina Bennett
Diane Duggan
Meredith Fages
Nico Gonzales
Brenda Green
Ugo Harris
Jillian Hollis
Henry Holmes
Joey Kipp
Amy Meisner
Efren Olson-Sanchez
Suleiman Rifai
Leslie Taub
Peter Trojic
Cecilia Whalen
Roxanne Young

ON DISPLAY is a commentary on the body as spectacle and society's obsession with body image. Members of the disability, performance, and fashion worlds are often stared at and objectified in their daily lives. Reverting the gaze is integral to disability culture and has been an essential part of Heidi Latsky’s body of work since 2006 when she began to integrate people with disabilities into her work.

The genesis of ON DISPLAY came through an interaction Latsky had with a museum curator who felt compelled to share with her his negative reaction to her evening length work GIMP. Whereas he saw the inherent beauty of a sculpture with missing limbs, he could not do that with a real person. As he expressed both shame and curiosity, Latsky more fully comprehended the complexity of his experience. The idea of a deconstructed art gallery/fashion show developed as the vehicle to address what she perceived as a common reaction to seeing people with disabilities on stage with those who do not have apparent disabilities.

By giving the performers the power to choose what they do or do not reveal allows each of them to control their personal journey with the audience. But the audience’s responses will ultimately affect the trajectory of that journey. That tenuous and complex relationship exists in galleries, fashion shows, and performances but more importantly permeates everyday life with people who either move or look differently and hence draw attention to themselves whether they want to or not.

ON DISPLAY began as a series of free and public installations throughout NYC in honor of the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and in partnership with Lincoln Center, Victor Calise (Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities), and DanceNYC. It has grown into a global social justice movement, ON DISPLAY GLOBAL, with diverse communities throughout the world participating in local installations honoring the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities annually on December 3rd.

“On Display/Boston is everything I want from a work of art: It is thoughtful and makes you think. It provokes reflection. It is full of spirit. It is full of beauty. It is inclusive. And it takes you deep inside yourself even as it expands the world around you.” David Henry, former Bill T. Jones Director of Performing and Media Arts at the Institute of Contemporary Art.

About Heidi Latsky Dance:

Founded in 2001, Heidi Latsky Dance (HLD) has created ground-breaking work for multiple casts of highly talented disabled and non-disabled dancers. With a manifesto dedicated to disrupting space, dismantling normalcy, and challenging contemporary views on the definition of beauty, HLD’s significant repertory—including the critically-acclaimed GIMP and ON DISPLAY—have been seen by audiences across the United States and abroad.

HLD became a physically integrated dance company in 2006 and is the largest integrated company in the US. Outreach and advocacy have always been an integral part of the company’s mission. HLD continues to push boundaries by illuminating non-apparent disability and reshaping contemporary dance’s relationship with inclusivity.

Performance venues have included Lincoln Center, Whitney Museum of American Art, American Dance Festival, The Kennedy Center, Peak Performances, National Portrait Gallery, Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art, Dadafest Liverpool, Crossing Borders Festival Düsseldorf, and the International Festival of Arts & Ideas at Yale University.

Latsky has received support over the years from organizations like Creative Capital, NEA, NYSCA, Harkness Foundation for Dance, and the Arnhold Foundation.

Latsky has spoken about inclusion at venues like Harvard University, Cornell University, Chicago Humanities Festival, annually with Fulbright scholars through One to World, and at multiple festivals and conferences. In 2023, she was honored by the IDEAL School of Manhattan for her social justice advocacy, received the Martha Hill Fund Mid-Career Award and was chosen to be a Grand Marshal for NYC’s Dance Parade.

Latsky has been creating films since 2015 when she was commissioned by Montclair State University to make her first short SOLILOQUY. Lincoln Center commissioned Latsky to create a film during COVID for the 30th anniversary of the ADA. She recently completed a short documentary featuring dancers with neurological conditions, including herself, titled LIVING IN THE GREY, which is her current advocacy tool. On January 10 and 11, the company will be part of the 92Y 2025/26 season with a unique performance and post-performance discussion titled “Who Am I Now?”