LET HER COOK

2024

LET HER COOK was an unique presentation of three World Premiere Contemporary Dance Works conceptualized to accompany a three course fine-dining meal.

The menu was created by two female chefs Kaylen met through working as a FOH Captain at Gabriel Kreuther.

LET HER COOK was held twice over two seatings, both on

SUNDAY DEC 8 2024

Co-Produced with BCTR Greenpoint NY

THREE WORLD PREMIERES

  • 2024

    Performed by Kaylen Tanner

    Choreographic contributions by Ragin Smith

    Original Music by Kaylen Tanner

  • 2024

    Choreography and Original Music by Kaylen Tanner

    Dancing and Creative Contributions by Cemiyon Barber

  • 2024

    Choreography, Original Music, and Performance by Kaylen Tanner

    Additional music by Greg Haines

    Developed starting 2017

THREE COURSE MENU

  • by Chef Devika Manchanda

    Served HOT with two spreads: Roasted Red Pepper, Fresh Lemon ad Garlic Toum

  • by Chef Delilah Arce

    Fingerling potato puree, Pickled kumquat, Saffron buerre blanc, Chive oil

  • by Chef Devika Manchanda

    Bronte Pistachio, Saffron Syrup, Pomegranate Crema, Milk Sorbet

CONNECTION

BREAKDOWN

  • We intentionally walked the bread as HOT as possible at the same time the dance piece climaxed, with a bit of the red pepper spread already on the Frena. As the dancer cooled down, servers followed with the chilled garlic toum spread.

  • This communal course was an invitation to reflect on how different elements of a dish can become greater than the sum of their parts.

    Inspired by the (universal?) practice in Michelin kitchens to taste test each element of a dish before opening doors, the audience and dancer tasted through elements together and had a dance about each one - culminating in the presentation of the final dish and a dance sequence inspired by every taste.

  • Embracing the idea of letting things fall into place (very woman like, very settled, very relaxed) and the beauty of nature’s past, chef and I were inspired by snowfall.

    This piece used a heavy sense of theatrics, held bits of movement from every piece I’d staged publicly in New York, and closed with a table-side snowfall.

Holistically imagining an alternative experience to any Michelin restaurant or any immersive performance house~

the goal of this concept is to create a circular dialogue between artistic chefs, high-caliber performance makers, and eventually the audience/dining guests.

Conducting Process for both the culinary dishes and the performance works simultaneously allowed the two to be in dialogue for the entire presentation and created something greater than the sum of its parts.

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