Staring in the Pit of Death

New Yorkers are truly some of the most resilient people in the world. Then again, perhaps all war-torn people have this great resiliency; the second skin, like a coat of Teflon upon which the affective filter turned up so high that the negative emotion does not effect one outwardly; the daily motions are still in place, while inside there may be a great sense of eternal havoc. In some ways our courage is testament to the human spirit which transcends the daily grind. And perhaps it is here, in NY, where we as artists display this spirit on a constant basis through our productions of dance, theatre, music, writing and the visual arts. Theses are the testaments that there is a spirit, a collective soul that we chose to let out or allow others in through our words, gestures, and various productions, even in the acceptance of the other by allowing them to look into our eyes.