As I recently wrote in my article about The Joyce Theater’s eighth American Dance Platform, there’s a lot going on here in New York with the annual performing arts presenting, touring and booking industry conference (APAP/NYC) happening this week. That’s great news for arts-loving city dwellers but can also be overwhelming: What shouldn’t be missed? Who are the rising stars? Where can one see them? Let me help you out.

One of the many exciting events on now is the second edition of Out-FRONT!, curated by Pioneers Go East Collective and presented in partnership with The LGBT Community Center and Abrons Arts Center. This Radical Queer dance, film and performance art series, which begins today and runs through January 20, centers LGBTQ and feminist voices through the work of ten multigenerational, multicultural artists.

When I spoke with Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Founding/Artistic Director of Pioneers Go East Collective and one of the four curators of Out-FRONT!, he was contagiously enthusiastic about the upcoming performances. The festival aligns perfectly with his deepest soul mission: to hold space for queer artists and champion their voices.

SEE ALSO: Melanie George Presents Jazz at The Joyce and More

Lo Forte, a gay immigrant of Italian/Middle Eastern descent and a writer, director and filmmaker, founded the collective in 2010 as a “radical queer laboratory” for performing and visual artists to reflect and empower the LGBTQ experience. The Collective has grown over the years and is now led by Daniel Diaz, Joey Kipp, Lo Forte and Philip Treviño (all LGBTQ-identifying, BIPOC and immigrant artists and cultural organizers).

During the pandemic, The Collective decided to try producing a........

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