Dance Out East: Palladium Nights by Sekou McMiller + Friends

DANCE OUT EAST: Palladium Nights by Sekou McMiller + Friends
in partnership with Works & Process
The Watermill Center
Sunday, January 11 at 2pm

Celebrate the start of 2026 with the second annual DANCE OUT EAST, a weekend festival of dance brought to you by The Church, Guild Hall, and The Watermill Center, in partnership with Works & Process. Preview new works that will sequence into Works & Process events at Guggenheim New York.

The collective known as "Sekou McMiller + Friends" is led by the esteemed choreographer, Sekou McMiller, and comprises a talented ensemble of seasoned professional dancers, musicians, composers, and club/street performers. Palladium Nights is a new evening-length choreographic work that explores the cultural legacy and artistic impact of New York’s historic Palladium Ballroom (1940s–60s), a vibrant site of exchange where Afro-Latin and African American communities helped shape what we now recognize as Salsa/Mambo dance. More than a nightclub, the Palladium was an incubator of innovation, identity and social movement. This work honors that history while engaging its ongoing influence on contemporary dance and culture.

DANCE OUT EAST at The Watermill Center is presented in memory of Robert Wilson and Michéle Pesner, both of whom dedicated their lives to the advancement of culture, including dance, on a global and local basis.

WATERMILL CENTER MEMBERS RECEIVE 10% OFF TICKET PRICE
For details on the member discount, contact amanda.race@watermillcenter.org.

For more information on the festival: www.danceouteast.org

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DANCE OUT EAST
A collaboration with Works & Process

The Church
Kristine Bendul & Abdiel: The Lineage Project
Residency: January 4–10
Public Event: Saturday, January 10, 2pm

Guild Hall
Naomi Funaki: Ikigai
Tino & Rajika Puri Creative Residency: January 3-11
Public Event: Saturday, January 10, 7pm

The Watermill Center
Sekou McMiller + Friends: Palladium Nights
In Memory of Robert Wilson & Michéle Pesner
Residency: January 5-11
Public Event: Sunday, January 11, 2pm

DANCE OUT EAST
Launched in 2025, Dance Out East celebrates dance on the East End of Long Island, builds partnerships to support artists and their creative process, and illuminates for the public how works are created. Be the first to see new performances commissioned by Works & Process. Each program culminates a week-long creative residency, and provides unique insight into the creation of new choreography that will sequence directly into the Works & Process Dance Festivals at Guggenheim New York.

WORKS & PROCESS
Championing performing artists and their creative process at each step from studio to stage, Works & Process produces fully funded residencies and presents events that go behind the scenes, blending artist discussion and performance highlights. Works & Process events transcend the proscenium, encouraging audiences to spectate and participate beyond the stage, and culminate in receptions in the Guggenheim rotunda to continue the conversation.

Works & Process produces over 25 creative residencies annually. Expanding from our bubble residency program created during the COVID-19 pandemic, Works & Process now has a network of over a dozen partners in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. In over 100 Works & Process residencies, supporting over 1,000 artists, incubated works have been recognized with awards and grants, and have toured nationally—and internationally with the U.S. State Department. These out-of-town residencies provide industry leading artist fees of $1,225 per week, 24/7 studio access, on-site housing, a transportation stipend, and health insurance enrollment access. When Works & Process events are presented in New York City, Works & Process provides artists with fees of $450 per performance.

Please arrive 10 minutes early to allow for the check-in process.

The Watermill Center is committed to providing accessible programs and services for all patrons and artists with disabilities. For further information about any accessibility needs, please email us at visit@watermillcenter.org.