AMPLIFYING THE ARTS IN AMERICA 250 CELEBRATIONS

Dance Penn Live Arts Commission World Premieres

Kathy Sachs, founder and chair of ArtPhilly, wanted to amplify the arts in the city’s semiquincentennial celebration this summer . As plans took shape for the organization’s inaugural What Now: 2026 Festival, Sachs turned to us at Penn Live Arts, where she sits on the Board of Advisors.

Our 25/26 season, America Unfinished, invited featured artists to reflect on the nation’s foundational values and what they mean today in a democracy that is continually changing. As part of the season, we worked with ArtPhilly to commission an ambitious collaboration between the Martha Graham Dance Company and PHILADANCO!: in case of fire, speak by choreographer Tommie-Waheed Evans. Part of ArtPhilly’s 34 commissioned performances, this world premiere kicks off the city-wide festival May 29-30. For Sachs, the work reflects the essential role of artists in interpreting the present moment:

“Artists and performers can be the best interpreters of any moment in time. And this year, of all years, we want to see what these dancers and choreographers are thinking. Our democracy is in each of us, and it can’t ever be completely codified in writing. This show grapples with that fact, transforms it,” said Sachs. 

» Read more about Sachs and What Now: 2026

related event

• Martha Graham Dance Company