Brownbody at Project Space
This Summer. We Skate. We Dance.
Brownbody, the Twin Cities-based all-Black dance company founded by choreographer and former competitive figure skater Deneane Richburg, begins a multi-phase collaboration with Painted Bride Project Space through screenings, residencies, workshops, story circles, skating activations, and interdisciplinary performance development unfolding across Philadelphia and beyond.
At the center of the collaboration:
Infinite Slow Drive / Obsidians in the Wild, a large-scale interdisciplinary performance world drawing from Black cultural traditions of visibility, procession, adornment, gathering, and collective presence, building toward a Philadelphia premiere in 2027.
Infinite Slow Drive / Obsidians in the Wild
What unfolds at Project Space this summer is part of an evolving collaboration between Brownbody and Painted Bride, shaped through artistic exchange, public engagement, community dialogue, and interdisciplinary performance practice.
UPCOMING ACTIVATION | THIS WEEK
Brownbody Screening + Sneak Preview
June 9 | 6:30–9:30 PM
Painted Bride Project Space
4029 Cambridge St., East Parkside
An evening of film, immersive projection, artistic conversation, and early public preview material featuring:
- Tracing Sacred Steps by Deneane Richburg
(Brownbody Artistic Executive Director & Choreographer) - Infinite Slow Drive/Obsidians in the Wild (Trailer) by Lela Aisha
(Project Community & Culture Artistic Director and Brownbody Associate Artistic Director)
Film.
Projection.
Public talkback.
Community.
MULTIWEEK ENGAGEMENT | July 13 – August 1
Brownbody Residency at Project Space
Brownbody returns to Project Space for a three-week residency centered on rehearsal, artistic exchange, community engagement, and continued development connected to Infinite Slow Drive / Obsidians in the Wild.
Public-facing activations, workshops, and additional programming will continue unfolding throughout 2026 and beyond.
LOOKING AHEAD | TOWARD 2027
What begins this summer continues expanding through public activations, story circles, workshops, skating events, oral histories, and interdisciplinary performance development across Philadelphia and Minneapolis.
Future phases include:
- community activations
- skating workshops
- public gatherings
- oral history exchanges
- sculpture and installation components
- culminating large-scale public performance development
More announcements to come.
Curious?
Read: Brownbody, Ritual, and the Long Arc of Collaboration
RELATED PROGRAMMING | CONTINUE EXPLORING
NOTE: The Becoming, originally scheduled for June 5–7 at Painted Bride Project Space, has been postponed. Please visit the ArtPhilly website for the full announcement and festival updates.
If embodiment, oral history, memory, and collective storytelling resonate with you, continue exploring:
The Becoming
by Shavon Norris
Presented as part of ArtPhilly 2026
Gallery Hours:
Thursday, June 4, 2026 — 12 PM–7 PM
Friday, June 5, 2026 — 12 PM–7 PM
Performances / Activations:
Saturday, June 6, 2026 — 12 PM–5 PM
Sunday, June 7, 2026 — 12 PM–5 PM
Project Space
4029 Cambridge St., East Parkside
ACCESSIBILITY & WELLNESS
Supporting access, participation, and well-being for everyone who joins us.
Painted Bride Project Space is committed to creating welcoming and accessible experiences for artists, audiences, and community participants.
If you have accessibility needs or accommodation requests related to attending an event or activation, please contact us in advance at info@paintedbride.org so we can best support your visit.
Additional accessibility information will be included with individual event registrations and announcements.
We also ask that guests stay home if they’re feeling unwell.
