2019 GRANTEES
In July of 2019, The Blanket commissioned award-winning NYC-based choreographer Beth Gill to present an evening of dance at the historic Carrie Blast Furnaces. Motivated by the expanse of the venue, Ms. Gill created Yolk & Grove, a choreographic mash-up of two previous works specifically for The Blanket, presenting a structural study in which one work invaded the other to create a landscape of drifting structural forms. The work unfolded from one end of the Furnace's powerhouse to the other, on a 3000+ sq. foot patchwork cardboard floor made from reclaimed materials. Inspired by the venue’s spirit of American industry, composer Ryan Seaton flanked the space with two Chevrolet Silverado pick-up trucks, from which his original score was amplified to accompany the dance. Costumed in a palette derived from the grafittied walls of the venue, the dancers performed a colorful, thoughtful and unique evening of dance that honored the individual character of the site.
The Blanket is a producing organization that exists to expand dance in Pittsburgh, directed by Caitlin Scranton and Matt Pardo and founded in 2016.