Midwood Senior Center’s Active Adult Program aims to empower and rejuvenate the everyday lives of seniors, keeping them healthy and active through participation in recreational, educational, and social activities. Through a partnership with MoMA’s Prime Time, an initiative to engage older New Yorkers at the Museum and in the community, older adults at Midwood Senior Center formed their own dance troupe, called The Inspirations. Led by Teaching Artist Rebecca Goyette, the group explored dance as a democratic art medium, drawing on the work of Jérôme Bel, Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, and Maria Hassabi, all recently on view at MoMA. The video work shown here—including original choreography as well as personal interviews with members of The Inspirations—highlights participants’ passion and joy, while also illustrating the personal, spiritual, and sociopolitical underpinnings of their dance practice.
This exhibition is organized by Carrie McGee, Assistant Director, Community and Access Programs; Laurel Humble, Associate Educator, Community, Access, and School Programs; and Rebecca Goyette, MoMA Teaching Artist.
Special thanks to Angela Genduso and Ketly Matthew for their dance instruction, and to Jacqueline Florio and Marianna Hernandez for their support of this project.
