A note from Sasha Okshteyn, Guest Curator:
Growing up in Williamsburg, my early experience of cultural happenings in the area weren’t just formative – they were foundational and informed my curatorial practice. My work seeks to honor that spirit — one that is deeply communal, dynamic, and driven by the pulse of the people. To now be a part of the history of the neighborhood and contribute a public program with Sugar Sugar! is both a privilege and full-circle moment. I’m excited to contribute to the same cultural fabric that raised me.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
RASHAUN + SILAS create dances with site-responsive, improvisational techniques that highlight marginalized narratives and hybrid forms. Our work deploys collaboration and ways of self-organizing to gather and create a new lexicon with cross-pollinating ideas. We are committed to synthesizing disparate ways of working and the communities, traditions, and value systems that circulate around us. Our choreography underscores a commitment to working with technology and digital strategies, but from a perspective that questions the dominance of new media in performance. Our work makes an important space for the exponential and interconnected spheres of knowledge in the world, centering emergence, desire, and social interaction.
SASHA OKSHTEYN, raised in Williamsburg, BK, is a creative producer, programmer and currently the Associate Director of Artist Programs at The Watermill Center, on the East End of Long Island. She specializes in live performance and art in public spaces. Past work includes institutional collaborations with Performa, MoMA, Pace Gallery, The MET, Pioneer Works, Art Basel, The Momentary, and many others. Artist collaborations include Madeline Hollander, Will Rawls, Adam Linder, Barbara Kruger, Tschabalala Self, Kevin Beasley, Jacolby Satterwhite, and many other amazing minds. Sasha is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Beach Sessions, a pioneering performance series in Rockaway Beach, Queens, NYC. Sasha received her B.A in Art History and Dance from George Washington University, DC and M.A. in Visual Arts Administration from NYU, NY.
