On the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Whitney Museum celebrates with a free performance of Under Momentum by Kinetic Light. This free hour-long event will feature solo and duet works by Alice Sheppard and Laurel Lawson, and include a Q&A with the artists.

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Kinetic Light creates, performs, and teaches at the intersections of disability, dance, and race. The collective’s rigorous investment in the histories, cultures, and artistic work of disabled people and people of color transforms our understandings of the moving world. Working in the disciplines of art, design, architecture, and social justice, Kinetic Light showcases freedom of movement, revealing how mobility—literal, physical, and conceptual—is fundamental to participation in civic life.

Alice Sheppard took her first dance class in order to make good on a dare. After a performance, disabled dancer Homer Avila challenged her to take a class, and she loved moving so much she resigned her academic professorship at Pennsylvania State University in order to begin a career in dance. She studied ballet and modern dance with Kitty Lunn and made her debut with Infinity Dance Theater. After an apprenticeship, Sheppard joined AXIS Dance Company, where she toured nationally and taught in the company’s education and outreach programs. Since becoming an independent artist, Sheppard has danced in projects with Ballet Cymru, GDANCE, and Marc Brew Company in the United Kingdom and Full Radius Dance, Marjani Forté, MBDance, Infinity Dance Theater, and Steve Paxton in the United States. 

Laurel Lawson joined Full Radius Dance in January of 2004, and has been privileged to perform in Atlanta and around the world with the company as well as with other collaborations and solo projects. Highlights include festival performances in Italy and South Korea and a film appearance in Warm Springs (HBO, 2005). In addition to performing, choreographing, and teaching dance, Laurel is a lifelong advocate, public speaker, member of the USA Women's Developmental Sled Hockey team, and a product designer and co-founder of an engineering consultancy based in Decatur, Georgia.

ACCESS INFO:

The Hess Theater at the Whitney is equipped with an induction loop and infrared assistive listening system

Accessible seating is available

Audio description provided

ASL interpretation provided

The main entrance of the Whitney is accessible with elevator access to all floors. All gender restrooms are available on floors -1, 3, 5, and 8. Service animals are welcome.