bates dance festival residency 2026

Particles, Fields, & The Void Residency
July 27-31, 2026  

The Bates Dance Festival invited SLIPPAGE director Thomas F. DeFrantz and collaborating artist Dan Safer to a residency to continue work on the theatrical offering Particles, Fields, & the Void as part of the summer 2026 season. In this dynamic duet offering, DeFrantz and Safer take on Godzilla, personal demons, Basquiat, Abstract Expressionism, drone strikes, treating each other kindly, dancing, wrestling, and how maybe according to the laws of physics it should be impossible to make physical contact with someone. Safer, the founder of Witness Relocation, is directing the work that SLIPPAGE will produce. Attilio Rigotti creates sound & video designs for project, and Jason Quarles acts as its dramaturg. Particles, Fields, & The Void has been in development since a 2025 residency at the Mercury Store of Brooklyn, New York.