Year: 2026-2027
DanceForce Member: D. Chase Angier
Artist: Monica Bill Barnes
Community Partner: Alfred University
Audience: 300
County: Allegany

This DanceForce project, led by D. Chase Angier in partnership with the Performing Arts Department at Alfred University, will bring Monica Bill Barnes & Company to Alfred, New York for a free public performance, community workshop, and artist talkback on September 12, 2026.

The project centers on a performance of “Many Happy Returns” at the Miller Performing Arts Center on the Alfred University campus, followed by a post-performance talkback with the artists. On the same day, Monica Bill Barnes will lead a 90-minute movement workshop that is free and open to the public. All activities are designed to be welcoming and accessible to audiences across generations and backgrounds.

Many Happy Returns is a dance/theater work created and performed by Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri. As described by the company, “Many Happy Returns” is a dance version of a memory play. With movement and language, Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri create a shared character, a woman in the middle of her life who moves with total clarity but can’t stop revealing the doubt she’s desperate to dance over. Many Happy Returns is a hilarious, heartwarming look back at who we thought we were and a communal search for solace in who we’ve become.”

Principal artists include Monica Bill Barnes (choreographer/performer) and Robbie Saenz de Viteri (writer/performer). The primary organizational partners are DanceForce, NYSCA, and Alfred University’s Performing Arts Department, with outreach to local high schools that participated in the previous DanceForce project, strengthening existing relationships while expanding engagement with new audiences. The company will also provide materials from previous works to share with both high school and college students, helping them become familiar with the company’s artistic approach prior to experiencing the live performance.

The project will serve communities in Allegany and Steuben Counties, including Alfred University students across disciplines, regional residents, and high school students from neighboring districts. By offering free admission and an open community workshop, the project removes financial and cultural barriers to participation and invites individuals who may not regularly attend dance performances to engage with contemporary performance in an approachable and meaningful way.

The estimated audience size is 300 people across the performance, talkback, and workshop.

This project is significant for both artists and community. For the artists, it provides meaningful engagement with new audiences and an opportunity to share a nationally recognized work in a community-centered setting. For the community, the project offers access to high-caliber contemporary dance that reflects shared human experience through humor and emotional honesty. At a time when many communities are seeking opportunities for connection and collective reflection, Many Happy Returns creates a space for gathering, dialogue, and resonance through live performance.