In this episode of Pod de Deux, Clara and Jessica interviewed performance curator, Ali Rosa-Salas, who serves as the Director of Performance Programs at Abrons Arts Center.  We spoke about the many roles of a performance curator and how Ali approaches her work at Abrons as she strives to create a place for inquiry and community.  In the process, we learned about the history of Henry Street Settlement and its founder, Lillian Wald. Clara joined Ali and Jessica via skype from Minnesota where she was visiting her family for Thanksgiving.

Ali oversees the curation of Abrons Arts Center’s performance season with Artistic Director Craig Peterson and manages artist relations. As an independent curator, she has produced visual art exhibitions, performances, and public programs at Danspace Project’s Food For Thought Series, AFROPUNK AFTER DARK 2015, Knockdown Center, MoCADA, MINKA Brooklyn, Weeksville Heritage Center, and more. She has also organized discursive events as an Alumnae Fellow at the Barnard Center for Research on Women, with Movement Research as part of their Studies Project platform, and the DISCOURSE series as the Associate Curator of the 2017 American Realness Festival. Ali was co-founder of the curatorial platform MAMI (2016-2017), which produced a music compilation, an exhibition, performances, and nightlife with NON WORLDWIDE, Fake Accent, BUFU, BBZ London, GET ARTISTS PAID, and over 150 DJs, artists, collectives, and activists. She graduated from Barnard with a B.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and interdisciplinary concentrations in Dance and Race/Ethnic Studies.  She is currently an M.A. candidate at the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance at Wesleyan University. 

Check out the array of forthcoming performances on Abron’s Arts Center’s website!

This episode was recorded at Btoven Music studio.