Mission and History
Mission
Performance Space 122 is a multi-disciplinary arts center dedicated to finding, developing and presenting new artistic creations from a diversity of cultures and points of view. P.S. 122 provides emerging and mid-career artists an environment that encourages exploration, innovation and risk-taking.
History
Performance Space 122 is a not-for-profit arts center in New York City, serving the dance and performance community. Over the past 25 years what was once an abandoned school has become one of the world's leading arts institutions, an esteemed presenter of experimental and alternative performance and a home to countless emerging artists.
Located on the corner of First Avenue and 9th Street, the former Public School 122 was abandoned and in disrepair when a group of visual artists began to use the old classrooms for studios. In 1979, choreographer Charles Moulton began holding rehearsals and workshops in the second floor cafeteria, and invited fellow performers Charles Dennis*, Tim Miller and Peter Rose to collaborate in the administration and use of the space.
P.S. 122 began its presentation history in 1980 with the first Avant-Garde-Arama, a multidisciplinary showcase and published its first complete calendar of performances, classes, workshops and more.
A professional staff person was hired in 1983 to curate and focus the overall programming, expanding it from a rental house into a year round presenting facility. That person was Mark Russell who went on to become P.S. 122's first artistic director, until his departure in 2004.
P.S.122 doubled its programming in 1986 when it converted the old "gym" on the first floor of the old school building into a performance space to be used for extended runs of small theatre groups and as a site for community meetings.
P.S. 122 now boasts two theatres with presentation programs of dance, performance, music, film, and video, professional technical and administrative staffs, a national touring program, an active commission program, low-cost rehearsal space and more. Its name is synonymous with ground-breaking, adventurous performance and a roster of artists that can mark the beginning of their careers from their performances here is impressive.
Today, Performance Space 122 remains committed to finding, nurturing and presenting the best and the brightest of emerging performing artists as well as discovering artists who are creating new disciplines, defying conventions, and expanding the parameters of performance as we know it.
*For more information on the history of Performance Space 122, we suggest that you view founder Charles Dennis's exceptional DVD that chronicles the origins and evolution of Performance Space 122, Homecoming. Homecoming was shot in 2000 on the occasion of P.S. 122's 20th season. To honor that achievement Charles Dennis invited ten choreographers, Ron Brown, Ann Carlson, Yoshiko Chuma, Dancenoise, Mark Dendy, Ishmael Houston-Jones, Jennifer Monson, Charles Moulton, Sally Silvers and Doug Varone, artists whose careers were launched at P.S. 122, to return for a special taping of selected dances from their repertories. The film combines new and archival performance clips, interviews with the artists, commentary by Deborah Jowitt of the Village Voice, Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times, Joseph Melillo the Executive Producer of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, former P.S 122 Artistic Director Mark Russell and P.S. 122 co-founders Charles Moulton, Tim Miller and Charles Dennis. Performance photography by Dona Ann McAdams and original music by John Zorn are also featured in the film.Homecoming is available on dvd and vhs at www.charlesdennis.net.
