New Dance Theatre, in a co-production with Access Theater, makes its New York debut with ASYLUM, July 13 – 30, 2017 at Access Theatre. ASYLUM, a dance-theatre take on the breaking through the barriers of isolation caused by the stigma of mental illness and the power of compassion, is an original work devised by New Dance Theatre company members and directed by Ilan Ben-Yehuda and Shannon Stowe.

Asylum: əˈsīləm/ noun: haven, shelter. Those diagnosed with mental illness are often without a safe place, a haven, a shelter. The prevalent attitudes towards and stigma of mental illness can make those who need help less likely to seek it, feeling more and more isolated and alone. With ASYLUM, we seek to shift the perception and bear witness the power of compassion.

ASYLUM marks the culmination of NDT’s 2016-17 participation in the Access Residency Program. After presenting part of ASYLUM in their Darkroom Series, NDT was accepted into the residency program to continue development of the piece. Devised by the company members of New Dance Theatre, ASYLUM features original choreography created by members of the company based their individual stories and impulses and this makes us uniquely different than traditional dance companies with the choreographer setting their work on the company.

Thursday – Saturday at 8pm, Sundays at 7pm