A call for justice.
A city-wide series of offerings.
An opera in seven movements.

The transdisciplinary project lands in New York City with a vibrant series of community activations and a free outdoor performance of the opera, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Eric Garner’s killing.

Born from the vibrant collaboration between composer Jonathan Berger, visual artist Enrico Riley and poet/librettist Vievee Francis, the work responds to the murder of Eric Garner and the ongoing theft of Black life at the hands of the State. Music, text, projected visuals and movement interweave in a story centered on Garner’s daughter, Erica. Uplifted by a 90-person choir of singers, the opera is adapted for the outdoors as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City.

Through the power of art and collective gathering, Ritual of Breath calls us together as co-conspirers—to breathe and keep breathing any way we can.

Ritual on Instagram

Last Friday, The Ritual of Breath Is the Rite to Resist landed in NYC on a beautiful evening at @lincolncenter Summer for the City. Through the opera and community activations, Ritual of Breath gathers us together to breath, feel and commit to resist
This evening we will gather to reflect and commit to continuing the movement to protect the sanctity if Black lives and breath. Join us at Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn at 6 pm | FREE #theritualofbreathistheritetoresist
Today, on the 10th anniversary of Eric Garner's killing, we marched with Ms. Gwen Carr's @e.r.i.c.initiativefoundation and other mothers who have lost children to police violence. We honor Eric's memory through the Ritual of Breath opera and communit

June 15 - July 20
20+ civic partners
20+ events across NYC

Expanding beyond the stage, Ritual of Breath is an offering that adapts to each community where is is performed.

With civic partnerships anchored in Staten Island and spreading across NYC, we invite you to join in community activations and collective rituals of healing throughout the summer.

Civic Partners

Creative Team

All Artists

Producers

The project is commissioned, developed, and produced by The Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth; Co-commissioned by Stanford Live at Stanford University.
Creative Producer/Tour Producer: Kim Whitener/KiWi Productions
Associate Producer: The Flea Theater
NYC Civic Partnerships Producer: Bryan Joseph Lee / CNTR Arts

  • Lincoln Center's Summer for the City

    This summer, The Ritual of Breath Is the Rite to Resist debuts in New York City on July 19 as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City Festival.

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  • Community Activations

    Ritual of Breath is enriched by civic partnerships across the city, through which we are offer community activations and rituals of healing throughout the summer

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  • About the Opera

    The Ritual of Breath Is the Rite to Resist is a chamber opera-theater work by Jonathan Berger, Enrico Riley and Vievee Francis that responds to the murder of Eric Garner and the ongoing loss of Black life at the hands of authorities.

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