The CUNY Dance Initiative and John Jay College, in collaboration with Rocha Dance Theater, present the World Premiere of Half-Heard

Integrating dance, theatrical parody and architectural costume design, Half-Heard shows a satirized version of one woman’s struggle to be heard in the workplace. An all-female identifying — and at times, drag cast — opens a veritable Pandora’s box of the absurdity of gender roles and human behavior. Half-Heard traverses themes of gender stereotypes, commodification, and identity – issues that have been exponentially heightened by the #Metoo movement–and is influenced by Rocha’s work for The Painted Ladies, her cabaret dance troupe.

Half-Heard is choreographed and directed by Jenny Rocha, composed by Joseph Rivas, and is performed by Courtney Drasner, Nicole Lemelin, Shoko Fujita, Nikki Ervice, Dervla Cary-Jones, Jamie Graham, Chelsea Escher, and Rocha herself. The costumes, also designed by Rocha, are an integral part of the piece’s theatricality. Experiences with being invisible, forced gender identity, and deflated ambition are illuminated through costuming that dictates the movement: performers drag balloons, hide behind hats, and sport an overwhelming amount of pink bows and tulle.

Ticket Price: General Admission $25 ($26.87 with service fee)

Rocha Dance Theater’s residency and performance at John Jay College is part of the CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI), a program that opens the doors of CUNY campuses to professional choreographers and dance companies.

Cultural, informational, and visual arts presentations are made possible in part with funds allocated by Council Member Helen Rosenthal and the New York City Council.