kNoname Artist: 'The Grave's Tears'

kNoname Artist | Roderick George is a collective that strives to use art as a form of protest and healing method to find agency. Founded by American choreographer and dancer, Roderick George, the company invests in reflecting the times, both past and current events, and using the culture of origins as a vessel for creative expression.  

George's latest work, The Grave's Tears is inspired by the lasting impact of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic and the present events of the erasure of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Grave’s Tears is a full-length choreographic work that confronts the legacy of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the ongoing erasure of Black and queer lives. Expanding from Venom (2024), it explores generational trauma, systemic neglect, and the violence of being forgotten. Haunting and skeletal in movement, the piece is a physical elegy shaped by memory and spirit. Snow falls throughout as a metaphor for erased bodies and unmarked graves. Guided by the voices of Black queer cultural ancestors, the work is both a mourning and a refusal to disappear—insisting on presence, resistance, and the power of remembrance. 

kNoname Artist has performed at festivals such as New York City Center, Festival Quartiers Danses, Suzanne Dellal, Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Zurich Tanzhaus, Hollins University, New York Live Arts, Pavillon Noir| Ballet Prejlocaj, Sophiensæle Festspiele, Pocantico Art Center, and Fall for Dance North/NIGHTSHIFT. 

Most recently in 2024 George was recipient of two major US awards: The Princess Grace Award – Choreography and the inaugural Jacob's Pillow Men Dancers Award. 

Credits for The Grave’s Tears:

The first iteration of the production was commissioned by Gibney as part of the organization’s DoublePlus program for the 2023-2024 Season, curated by Gibney Center Artistic Director Nigel Campbell and Kyle Abraham.  

The Grave’s Tears was developed as part of the Guild Hall William P. Rayner Artist-in-Residence program and the support of New York Live Arts, Williams College, Yale Schwarzman Center, and Pomegranate Arts. Additional residency support provided by La Villette - Paris. 

The production received support from the National Performance Network Creation & Development Fund. 

The Grave’s Tears is commissioned by Le Manège, Scène Nationale - Reims. 

Produced by kNoname Artist.