Unforgotten: Butoh for 9/11

Choreographed by Vangeline for the Vangeline Theater

Commissioned by National Endowmwnt for the Arts

Father Duffy, Times Square

at 1pm

Free

Featuring Cellist Katinka Kleijn

Photos by Chris Carlone and Javi Alvarez

On September 11, 2026, Vangeline Theater will present Unforgotten: Butoh for 9/11, an ensemble work in Times Square, New York, commemorating the victims of 9/11.
The 60-minute Butoh dance piece will be choreographed by Vangeline and be performed by an ensemble of several dancers, with live musical accompaniment by renowned cellist Katinka Kleijn.

Every year for the past two decades, Vangeline Theater has held public 911 commemorative performances in New York. For the past ten years, we have performed these offerings in Times Square, with a special dedication for the firefighters, policemen, and women who lost their lives on 9/11. Our annual performances in Times Square on 9/11 hold deep symbolic and cultural significance. The act of performing Butoh—a meditative, expressive dance form—on such a solemn occasion creates a space for collective mourning, remembrance, and healing. Given Times Square’s status as a global landmark and cultural epicenter, the performances serve as a poignant tribute to the victims of 9/11, while also offering an artistic reflection on resilience and loss.

This program is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the New York Department of Cultural Affairs, and the City Council.