Location
Reg Lenna Center for The Arts
116 East Third Street
Jamestown, NY 14701

Get ready for a fierce and unforgettable experience as Omari Wiles and his trailblazing company, Les Ballet Afrik, take the stage with their electrifying 60-minute production of New York Is Burning, presented as part of the Jamestown Dance Festival presented by Sukanya Burman Dance.

Blending the fearless spirit of ballroom with African diasporic traditions, house, and contemporary dance, this powerful work, rooted in the legacy of the legendary documentary Paris Is Burning, is a celebration of queerness, resilience, and creative expression. Audiences will be transported into a world of joy, struggle, and style as the company reimagines the ballroom as a space for healing and liberation.

As a prelude to the performance, join Omari Wiles for a Vogueing workshop on September 4 from 5:00–6:30 PM at Jamestown Community College’s Scharmann Theater. This exciting opportunity is open to all levels and offers a hands-on introduction to the history, artistry, and technique of ballroom culture. For more information visit: https://www.sukanyaburman.com/jamestown-dance-festival

Omari Wiles is a force in contemporary dance. Born in Senegal and raised in the Bronx, he is the founder of the House of Oricci and creator of the signature “AfrikFusion” style. He has been named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” featured in Vogue and The New York Times, and worked with global icons including Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, and Madonna. His choreographic work has appeared at Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, and the Guggenheim, and he recently received widespread acclaim for his role as co-choreographer of the ballroom-inspired Cats: The Jellicle Ball Off-Broadway.

Omari Wiles developed "New York Is Burning" for his company, Les Ballet Afrik, in a summer 2020 Works & Process bubble residency at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, a spring 2021 Works & Process bubble residency at Catskill Mountain Foundation (with support from the Mellon Foundation and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation), and a January 2022 Works & Process LaunchPAD “Process as Destination” residency at The Church, Sag Harbor in partnership with Guild Hall of East Hampton. Throughout this time, in some of New York State’s first permitted performances during the pandemic, Works & Process coproduced Les Ballet Afrik’s outdoor, filmed, and preview performances at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Lincoln Center, and the Guggenheim rotunda and the world premiere in the museum’s Peter B. Lewis Theater on November 5, 2022. The company performed previews at Jacob's Pillow, New Victory, and SummerStage and most recently was presented at The Joyce Theater.

Photo: Titus Ogilvie-Laing