Former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer Danny Gee, who spent more than 15 years as dance curator at the Summerstage festival, will be the next program director of the Joyce Theater, the organization announced Wednesday. did.
The work is a strong one in the New York dance world, making Joyce a prime location for touring performances, experimental productions and medium-sized dance companies. Gee replaces Aaron Mattox, who was appointed in 2018 and resigned earlier this year to join the Catskills. (Mattocks says, “I want to know what creativity is like in your 40s and how you can structure your work life around it.”)
Before joining the Airey Company, Gee appeared in Joyce in 1990 as a young dancer for Filadanko.
Linda Shelton, Executive Director of Joyce, said: “Dancing here early in her career, and now back on stage to program that content.”
Gee left Ailey at the age of 28 after a hip injury ended her career, turning to music to fill a creative void, she said. Sings backing vocals for Sledge, Gloria Gaynor and Cher.
In 2006, Gee became dance curator for SummerStage, a free outdoor festival performing in Central Park featuring companies such as the Martha Graham Dance Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Camille A. Brown & Dancers and AIM by Kyle Abraham. rice field.
As director of programming, Gee said she hopes to continue to introduce dance audiences to both well-known companies and up-and-coming up-and-comers, whom she called the dance world’s “rock stars.”
“There are pockets of dancing going on here and there. I keep finding them and hopefully bring them to Joyce’s stage,” Gee said.
Shelton notes that Gee has impressed the staff with her passion for dance and the establishment, and one of her priorities as a leadership team is understanding what it takes for audiences to return to the theater full force. said it is. It hasn’t happened yet, she said, after the pandemic shut down.
Gee was a regular guest at the Joyce Theater and a consultant to Complexions Contemporary Ballet when it performed there. She said returning as her administrator would be “surreal.”
“I know what Joyce smells like; security guys; box office folks,” she said. “It’s like coming home.”