COMPANY NEWS

Looking to the future with KYL/D's Executive Director

Dear Friends,

For the past 11 years, KYL/D has been my life’s passion and the generous springboard for my work in the Philadelphia arts and culture community.  It has been a vehicle for self-discovery and for encountering the singular power of dance to point to our deepest truths, reveal fathomless mysteries and foster vibrant community.  I have certainly received much more than I have given.

But, as Joan Didion once said, “it is distinctly possible to stay too long at the fair.”  Mindful of that sage observation, and after much deliberation with Kun-Yang and KYL/D’s Board, I have decided to embark on my next journey and make way for new possibilities at KYL/D, starting in August.

Transitioning is never an easy decision, but with the celebration of KYL/D’s tenth anniversary home season behind us and a visionary Board, passionate and experienced staff and robust balance sheet in place, it feels like the right time to welcome the future.

When we relocated from New York City ten years ago, we had no local Board, no audiences, no funding sources.  There was no place to go but up! In the last year alone, KYL/D’s programming has touched the lives of over 10,000 people – through performances, classes, open rehearsals, residencies, lecture-demonstrations, studio rentals and internships that served students, professional and aspiring artists as well as enthusiastic audiences, including me.  A few of our recent highlights include:

• the world premiere of the company’s Faith Project/The Door, with major support provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts and Temple University;
   
• our 35th InHale Performance Series at KYL/D’s CHI Movement Arts Center, bringing the number of artists presented to over 800;
   
• the expansion of our CHI Dance program to 5 schools, serving over 750 students in grades K through 12.

And there is so much more to look forward to, including a Fall home season at the Performance Garage and the premiere of Kun-Yang’s 100th work at the Annenberg Center in Spring 2019.

It has been a privilege to have worked alongside Kun-Yang, KYL/D’s Board, staff and artists to build the company’s home, CHI Movement Arts Center, and to witness its contributions to the neighborhood's ongoing evolution as one of Philadelphia’s most vibrant, diverse and culturally inclusive communities. It also has been my great joy to play a small part in KYL/D’s ascension to the acclaimed dance ensemble it has become. 

To know that KYL/D is in gifted hands is of great comfort as well.  Katie Moore, my right and left hands for the past two years, will step up as Interim Business Director as the Board finalizes its decisions on the optimal staffing structure for the future.  Though I step aside, please know that I won’t go far; I will continue to be an active and supportive Board member and the company’s biggest fan. 

I profoundly thank you for being a part of my journey at KYL/D, and I look forward to what more we can accomplish together.

Warmly,

Ken

“If I were to begin life again, I should want it exactly as it was.  I would only open my eyes a little more.” -- Jules Renard