Eva's "Nice" List: Most memorable arts experiences of 2013

Eva Yaa Asantewaa's "Nice" List: 

Most memorable arts experiences of 2013

Unlike the dozens of "10 Best" lists you've probably been perusing, this list is not about sifting out a handful of elite art products but, rather, fondly remembering a whole range of personal experiences from the year in arts.

I welcome you to add some of your own treasured memories in the comments here and on InfiniteBody's Facebook page. And I wish you all a fabulous 2014, and thanks for your support of InfiniteBody!

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@The Great God Pan by Amy Herzog, directed by Carolyn Cantor at Playwrights Horizons. Ensemble: Keith Nobbs, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Goldberg, Becky Ann Baker, Peter Friedman, Erin Wilhelm and Joyce Van Patten. Scenic design: Mark Wendland. Closed January 13

@Jodi Melnick and Hristoula Harakas performing Melnick's Solo, (Re)Deluxe, Version at Focus Dance, The Joyce Theater, January 8 and 13

@Stephen Petronio Company at Focus Dance, The Joyce Theater, January 8 and 13

@Soloists Camille A. Brown in The Real Cool and Brian Brooks in I'm Going to Explode at Focus Dance, The Joyce Theater, January 9 and 13

Emily Johnson
(photo by Cameron Wittig)

@Emily Johnson/Catalyst in Niicugni, New York premiere at Baryshnikov Arts Center, January 9-12. Including performance by Johnson and Aretha Aoki; lighting by Heidi Eckwall; music by James Everest and musical performance by Bethany Lacktorin

Peggy Shaw in Ruff
(photo by Michael Conti)

@Peggy Shaw in Ruff at Dixon Place, January 10-19. Directed and co-written by Lois Weaver

@Enver Chakartash for costume design, Zack Tinkelman for lighting design, and Chris Giarmo for sound design and original music, Seagull (Thinking of You) by Half Straddle/Tina Satter at New Ohio Theatre for PS 122's COIL (January 9-26)

@Jeanine Durning in inging at Abrons Arts Center for American Realness festival, January 2-19

@Simona Maicanescu in Wallace Shawn's The Fever at La MaMa, January 24-February 4

@Trisha Brown Dance Company at Brooklyn Academy of Music, January 30-February 2. Special mention: Leah Morrison and Tamara Riewe

@The Foundry Theatre's Good Person of Szechwan at La MaMa, starring Taylor Mac. Also, performances by Lisa Kron and David Turner, February 1-24

@T.K. Blue, Craig Harris, James Carter, Al MacDowell and Denardo Coleman at A Celebration of the Life of Poet Jayne Cortez at The Great Hall at Cooper Union, February 6

@Sayonara and I, Worker by Oriza Hirata, Seinendan Theater Company and Osaka University Robot Theater Project at Japan Society, February 7-9. (Performances by Geminoid F and two Robovie R3 robots)

@Ronald K. Brown/Evidence season at The Joyce Theater, February 12-17; entire ensemble, special mention: Matthew Rushing (guest artist), Annique Roberts, Arcell Cabuag, Coral Dolphin, Otis Donovan Herring

Jennifer Monson in Live Dancing Archive
(photo by Ian Douglas)

@Jennifer Monson/iLAND's Live Dancing Archive at The Kitchen, February 14-23; Monson's performance; Joe Levasseur's lighting; Jeff Kolar's audio design

@Doug Varone and Dancers' Stripped/Dressed program at 92nd Street Y's Harkness Dance Featival, February 22-24. Special mention: Julia Burrer, Eddie Taketa and Colin Stillwell

@Commons Choir/Daria Faïn & Robert Kocik in E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E at New York Live Arts, February 28-March 1

@Saori Tsukada in Witness Relocation's Eterniday at La MaMa, April 4-21

@Bebe Miller Company in A History at Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts at LIU (April 12-13), performances by Angie Hauser and Darrell Jones

Dr. Oliver Sacks, at left, with Bill T. Jones
at New York Live Arts
(photo by Ian Douglas)

@Live Ideas: The Worlds of Oliver Sacks at New York Live Arts, April 17-21, including premiere of Out of Frame, choreographed and performed by Donna Uchizono with Uchizono's State of Heads (1999), performed by Rebecca Serrell Cyr, Levi Gonzalez and Hristoula Harakas

@jill sigman/thinkdance in last days/first field at The Invisible Dog, May 7-9, choreography and visual design by Jill Sigman, music by Kristin Norderval; costumes by kymkym

@Tom Gualtieri in That Play: A Solo Macbeth at Stage Left Studio, April 4-May 25

@Pam Tanowitz's world premiere of The Spectators at New York Live Arts, May 15-18; dancing by Andrew Champlin, Maggie Cloud, Dylan Crossman, Pierre Guilbault, Sarah Haarmann and Melissa Toogood. Music by Dan Siegler and Annie Gosfield. Music performance by The FLUX Quartet. Lighting by Davison Scandrett

@Katy Pyle and The Ballez Company in The Firebird, A Ballez at Danspace Project, May 15-28. Performances by Pyle, Jules Skloot, Cassie Mey, Effie Bowen, Zari Esaian, Ariel "Speedwagon" Federow, Leah Hafezi, Sam Greenleaf Miller, Francis Rabkin, Mary Read, Lindsay Reuter, Lollo Romanski, Silky Shoemaker, Sacha Yanow and Nyx Zierhut. Music performed by Queer Urban Orchestra. Video by Hedia Maron. Program notes by Cassie Peterson.

Tunisian vocalist-guitarist Emel Mathlouthi
(photo by Ghaith Ghoufa)

@Emel Mathlouthi, World Nomads Tunisia, FI:AF, May 22

@Darrell Jones, HOO-HAH (for your eyes only) at Danspace Project, May 23-25. Performed by Jones, Damon Green and J'Sun Howard. Sound design/DJ/mixing by Justin Mitchell (DJ Swaguerilla)

@Michelle Boulé choreography and performance in Wonder, commissioned by Issue Project Room at Gallim Dance Studio, Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew, Brooklyn, May 30-31

@Rebecca Lazier's Coming Together/Attica at The Invisible Dog Art Center, June 13-15. Music by Frederic Rzewski performed live by Newspeak and guests; dance by Asli Bulbul, Pierre Guilbault, Jennifer Lafferty, Rashaun Mitchell, Christopher Ralph and Silas Riener

Angélique Kidjo at River to River Festival
(c)2013, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

@Angélique Kidjo at Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City, River to River Festival, June 25

@Luke Murphy and Carlye Eckert in Murphy's Drenched at La MaMa, July 5-7; special mention: David Fishel's video installation and design

@Savion Glover's STePz at The Joyce Theater, June 18-July 6. Dancing by Glover, Marshall Davis Jr., Robyn Watson, Ayodele Casel and Sarah Savelli. Lighting design by The Drew DeCorleto

@Tap City 2013's Tap Internationals at Symphony Space, July 11. Special mention: Corey Hutchins, Claudia Rahardjanoto, Kazu Kumagai, Brenda Bufalino, Jaime Moran, Carson Murphy and Max Pollak's Rumba Tap ensemble

@Pedro Goucha Gomes, in his solo Amongst Millions, at Between the Seas Festival at Wild Project, July 23 and July 25

@Burr Johnson and Reid Bartelme in Johnson's Shimmering Islands at Abrons Arts Center as part of Festival TBD: Emergency Glitter, July 24, 25 and 27.

@Lea DeLaria and Maggie Cassella in The Loudest Show on Earth, part of Dixon Place's HOT! Festival, July 12-27

Rubén Blades at Lincoln Center Out of Doors
(photo by Daria Sneed)

@Rubén Blades at Lincoln Center Out of Doors, August 7

@Race Horse Company in Petit Mal at Summerstage, Marcus Garvey Park, August 20

@Susan McCully's Inexcusable Fantasies by Susan McCully; performances by McCully and Rachel Hirshorn, directed by Eve Muson, New York International Fringe Festival, August 18-25

@Basil Twist, Dogugaeshi, at Japan Society (music by Yumiko Tanaka), September 18-22

@Pavel Zustiak, Endangered Pieces, at Abrons Arts Center. Performances by Zustiak, Matthew Rogers and Jaro Vinarsky; lighting by Joe Levasseur; sound by Christian Frederickson and Bobby McElver, October 2-12

@Sarah Skaggs, The New Ecstatic, at Danspace Project (special mention for performance: Skaggs and Cori Kresge), October 3-5

@the 51st (dream) state by Sekou Sundiata, adapted for radio at The Jerome L. Greene Space (directed by Arthur Yorinks; performed by La Tanya Hall, Ronnell Bey, Audrey Martell, Bora Yoon, Samita Sinha; conducted by Richard Harper; musical director, Eddie Allen), October 10

@taisha paggett, a right-angled object who lost her faith in being upright, at Danspace Project, October 10-12

@Lisa Nelson and Steve Paxton, Night Stand at Dia: Chelsea, October 10-19

@Melanie Maar, Our Other at Danspace Project, October 17-19

@Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker/Rosas, En Atendant, BAM Next Wave Festival, BAM Gilman Opera House, October 19-20

@Zimmermann & de Perrot, Hans was Heiri, BAM Next Wave Festival at BAM Harvey Theater (entire performance ensemble), October 23-26

@Antonia Baehr, Laugh, Queer New York International Arts Festival, Abrons Arts Center, October 25

@James Brown: Get on the Good Foot, A Celebration in Dance at The Apollo Theater, created by Otis Sallid (various choreographers; special mention for performance: Ephrat Asherie, Aakash Odedra, Derick K. Grant), October 22, 25-26

Maura Donohue at Roulette
(c)2013, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

@Maura Donohue and Adam Cuthbert at Roulette, October 29. Members of Maura Donohue/inmixedcompany (David Capps, Peggy Cheng, Timothy Edwards and Gibert Reyes)

@Gregory Maqoma/Vuyani Dance Theatre at Kumble Theater/LIU Brooklyn, November 1-2. Music by Complete and Giuliano Modarelli with songs by Simphiwe Dana

@Maria Hassabi, PREMIERE at The Kitchen, November 6-9. Performances by Hassabi, Biba Bell, Andros Zins-Browne, Hristoula Harakas, Robert Steijn; lighting by Zack Tinkelman and Maria Hassabi; sound design by Alex Waterman

@bell hooks and Melissa Harris-Perry in conversation at The New School, November 8 (livestreaming; unfortunately, not there in person!)

@Toshi Reagon and Juliette Jones, Naked Soul acoustic concert at The Rubin Museum for Art, November 8

@Will Rawls and Chris Kuklis, The Planet-Eaters at The Chocolate Factory, November 13-16. Lighting by Madeline Best and costumes by Saša Kovacevic

@Amy Miller in Dividing Line by Gina Gibney, Gibney Dance at Florence Gould Hall, November 14-16

@Rhythmic Circus, Feet Don't Fail Me Now! at The New Victory Theater, November 14-December 1

@Bush Moukarzel, Souvenir at Abrons Arts Center, writing and performance, November 14-23

Jenny Seastone Stern in Our Planet at Japan Society
(photo by Julie Lemberger)

@Our Planet, Japan Society, November 20-December 8. Yukio Shiba (text), Alec Duffy (direction), Scenic design: Mimi Lien, Costumes: Becky Lasky, Lighting design: Jiyoun Chang, Music composition and sound design: Tei Blow, Motion graphics: Nobuyuki Hanabusa. Performances by Jenny Seastone Stern and Julian Rozzell, Jr.

@Anna Schon in Moses(es) by Reggie Wilson, Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel Performance Group at BAM Harvey, December 4-7

@Camille A. Brown, Mr. TOL E. RAncE at Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts, December 6-7. Special mention: Scott Patterson (piano) and entire cast

@Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca at The Joyce Theater, December 3-15. Special mention: Martin Santangelo (choreography); Soledad Barrio (dance), Antonio Jimenez (dance), Manuel Gago (vocalist), Carmina Cortes (vocalist); Salva de Maria, Eugenio Iglesias and Hamed Traore (guitarists)

@Cori Olinghouse, Ghost lines at Danspace Project, December 12-14. Special mention: Michelle Dorrance reconstruction and performance of 1931 Hal Le Roy solo; film by Shona Masarin and Olinghouse

@Tere O'Connor Dance, Bleed, BAM Fisher, Next Wave Festival, December 11-14. O'Connor for choreography. Dance by Tess Dworman, devynn emory, Natalie Green, Michael Ingle, Ryan Kelly, Oisin Monaghan, Cynthia Oliver, Heather Olson, Mary Read, Silas Riener and David Thomson. Music by James Baker, performed by Baker (vocals, instruments); Chris Gross (cello) and Julia Read (voice)

@Cirque Éloize, Cirkopolis, NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, December 18-January 5. Jeannot Painchaud and co-director/ choreographer Dave St-Pierre, Robert Massicotte (sets/video), Alexis Laurence (video), Nicolas Descoteaux (lighting) and Stefan Boucher (music). Performed by Maude Arseneault, Angelica Bongiovonni, Dominique Bouchard, Mikael Bruyere-L’Abbe, Ashley Carr, Samuel Charlton, Myriam Deraiche, Lauren Herley, Reuben Hosler, Ugo Laffolay, Yann LeBlanc, Frederic Lemieux-Cormier and Francois Saussus

@Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Center, December 4-January 5. Special mention: performers Antonio Douthit-Boyd, Alicia Graf Mack, Jamar Roberts, Linda Celeste Sims and Michael Francis McBride, guest artist Matthew Rushing

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody