Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
See Dancers At New York Public Library...Blindfolded!
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 11, 2011
Modified Mar 11, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 11, 2011
Modified Mar 11, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Looking for something free to do this weekend? Looking for something that doesn't require opening your eyes? The New York Public Library is hosting dance group Dana Salisbury and the No-See-Ums this Saturday at 2 pm—and if you go, you'll be blindfolded as the dance goes on around you!
The group will perform “Bark,” one of their original “unseen dances.” Audience members are blindfolded, and spend the next 45 minutes or so with the performers dancing around them while making noises, and occasionally moving them around the room. One woman described the performance to WNYC: "I began getting sounds that sounded alien. And then, of course, the rushing and touching, and I felt as if bugs were flying in my ears...At one point, it felt as if I was surrounded by souls, sort of hovering softly around me."
Salisbury said she was inspired to create the "unseen dances" after reading articles on blind people and non-visual perception. On their website, she describes the performance: "Under-used sensory resources are called up. Touch, hearing, smell and balance bypass language. Defenses are undermined by dislocation. Vulnerability creates permeability and makes for work that is close-to-the-bone and personal." You can check out "Bark" for free at the Andrew Heiskell branch in Chelsea on Saturday, at the Webster Library on the Upper East Side on March 19, and at the 115th Street branch in Harlem on Saturday, March 26.
Tagged
blindfold
dance
new york public library
nypl
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .