Dance group with Pine Plains roots Zooms worldwide

Dance group with Pine Plains roots Zooms worldwide
A choreographer, dancer and teacher from Liverpool, England, Pei Tong explored Chinese contemporary dance for the 2020-21 Virtual Salon Performance Series for Social Change on Thursday, April 1. Photo submitted

NEW YORK CITY — Offering an evening of original performances, Pine Plains native and part-time Ancram resident, New York City choreographer Mark DeGarmo of Mark DeGarmo Dance aired his 2020-21 Virtual Salon Performance Series for Social Change on Thursday, April 1, via Zoom.

The evening offered curated dance and movement works-in-progress performed by guest artists Silvita Diaz Brown, Nick M. Daniels, Indygo Afi Ngozi and Pei Tong. Afterward, the artists chatted with the audience.

Just a few weeks earlier, Mark DeGarmo Dance organized a three-night Virtual International Arts Festival for Social Change, showcasing 19 dancers, choreographers and performers from five countries in the Zoom broadcast.

The festivals are featured on his website, www.markdegarmodance.org.

In the days of COVID-19 when opportunities for such performances are rare, DeGarmo believes virtual festivals provide fans a chance to see live performing arts, including dance.

— Kaitlin Lyle

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