Chelsea Garcia, WHSAD Senior
How can 23 letters be expressed in an hour? How can the depth of the human experience be fully conveyed through dance? Does the prayer, “Dear Lord, Make Me Beautiful” have to be spoken, or can the heavens understand human emotion through movement alone? Kyle Abraham’s art piece explores themes such as life, death, metamorphosis, and growth. He portrayed these concepts through utilizing modern dance as well as live music. By blending media such as lighting and sound he creates an other worldly experience, yet one that feels so close to home. In an artist talk I attended, Mr. Abraham revealed that this piece is dedicated to his late father. Yet he allows the piece to be interpreted freely by the audience rather than confining it to a single definition. In his performance, dancers dressed in white ran away from each other, embraced one another, and performed solo.
The most beautiful part of watching Abraham’s performance is that every single viewer has a different perception of what they witnessed. It is undefined, authentic, and a beautiful representation of humanity. The Youth Corps Program-a paid art internship for high school students- created a photography installation based upon “Dear Lord, Please Make me Beautiful.” In the installation we traced back to Abraham’s theme of growth by showcasing images of childhood to invoke feelings of nostalgia within viewers. By seeing images that make our audience feel like children again, they realize how much they’ve grown since then.
The Park Avenue Armory is a nirvana for creative minds, where emotions are expressed through movement, childhood is portrayed through photography, and the only boundary is the one we create within our imagination.
Yenitza Tejada Alba , WHSAD Sophomore
The Park Avenue Armory is located at 643 Park Avenue. It is a historic building that was built between 1877 and 1880. The original purpose of the building was to serve as a military facility for the 7th New York Militia Regiment. Over time it has turned into a cultural and artistic place. WHSAD students were fortunate enough to be invited and join the workshops.
Before the trip, we had a workshop that gave us background information about the show we were going to see. It helped me understand what the performance would be about and made me more excited to experience it in person. In the workshop were able to attempt to do certain dances like in the show moving in particular motions. We were able to talk about things that we consider beautiful which is something I never thought about on how different people find different things beautiful. Just like when we were watching the show we each had a different perspective on what we thought it meant. Around the end of the workshop, I was able to draw my most memorable memories which was fun because I was able to share out with my peers. For me, the workshops enhanced my experience in the show because I was able to learn different things like how the dance was contemporary dance. I have personally never heard or watched these kinds of performances so it was really interesting to learn how they move in circular motions.
The massive foyer welcomed us as soon as we got there. The high ceilings, beautiful woodwork, and sparkling chandeliers were the first things I noticed. With details like rising arches, strong stone pillars, and beautifully carved wooden panels, the building had a blend of Gothic Revival and Romanesque architectural styles. I also noticed tall windows that let in streams of light that created patterns when the light hit the walls and floors. The rich, dark wood that was used to decorate the walls, gave the room a cozy, vintage vibe. Something that I felt enhanced the building’s beauty was the stairs. I was surprised by the amount of effort that went into creating the building because of all the detailed work in it.
Before the show, we got to go to the different exhibits inside the Armory. My favorite was the pin-making station. My friends and I spent much time there creating our pins. It was fun to try something new. We were able to come together as a community, which made the experience even more enjoyable because we could interact with each other and create things. Something that I found fun was how there was a silent disco. I found it fun because it was something my friends had never been to, and it also brought us back to 2020 with the song choices. I feel like there were a lot of different details put in this exhibit because they gave us glow sticks and a great DJ enhancing the experience. Throughout every exhibit, I feel like I was able to connect to my childhood in a way because I was able to write different things like what I am grateful for and in one exhibit I was able to have a pretend tea party. I was also able to learn more about my friend’s childhood which helped me get a better bond with her.
The best part of the visit was the show. When the lights started to turn off and the dancers came on stage, I started to feel calm due to the relaxing music and the plant-themed background. Something about the smooth circular movements was almost hypnotizing. The soft music made the performance feel even more peaceful. Watching them dance felt like escaping into another world; it was quiet and calming. The dance meant something powerful like helping others up when they were down because there would be people lying on the floor and then another person helping them up.
In conclusion, visiting the Park Avenue Armory was an unforgettable experience. There was a combination of history, art, and personal reflection that made it a fun and meaningful trip. From learning about dance at the workshops to being able to reflect on my childhood with my friends. Overall this experience reminded me how art can bring people together and create fun memories, especially in the different art exhibits.
Saphire Celestin, WHSAD Sophomore
On my trip to the Park Avenue Armory, we got to explore and do many creative things while we waited for lunch. I learned how to make my own little fortune tellers, and customized my own pins! After that, we ate lunch. They provided boxes with sandwiches, chips and chocolate chip cookies, but I had my own food so I ate a bagel with cream cheese and bacon. After lunch, we went to go see the performance, and I think watching it felt pretty immersive. Especially with the colorful background, although I was trying not to fall asleep—-not because it was boring, I was just a bit tired. I enjoyed how synchronized everyone’s moves were all together, even at parts where everyone was doing something different. I also liked the Q&A because I got to listen to everyone’s personal experience creating the piece, “Dear Lord, make Me Beautiful.”