On a windy mid-November night in a Metuchen parking deck, mignolo dance performed their original piece, “Manifested Destiny”. It was a triumph the production took place at all, occurring in the middle of the pandemic when event regulations were in constant flux. Guests could either watch from their cars, parked in an amphitheater formation, or from spaced-out front-row seats. From the mignolo arts website:
“Manifested Destiny is an evening-length work choreographed by sisters Charly & Eriel Santagado. The piece explores American culture through the lens of great American literature across recent history. From Walt Whitman to Claudia Rankine, from Langston Hughes to John Steinbeck to Amy Tan, Manifested Destiny calls upon the work of 13 American writers with a wide range of backgrounds and styles. Over the course of the evening, the perspectives of these authors are examined chronologically through precise, language-inspired choreography that highlights how they clash and coincide. The piece opens and closes with a movement translation of To Elsie, William Carlos Williams' harrowing poem about the plight of America.”
The piece is available for rent HERE