On the Cover: "Requiem"
NOLA Contemporary Ballet's Hannah Bahney, photographed by Raegan Labat
“The idea,” explained Tianna Pourciau Sykes, “was to start a new dance company that would tell the stories of Louisiana through dance.” Set to debut in Fall 2020, NOLA Contemporary Ballet company had plans for dramatic evocations of Marie Laveau, of Louisiana’s wetlands, of French Quarter second lines, mystical ghosts, and—in the production titled “Requiem,” of Roman Catholic funeral rites. Of course, like so much of Louisiana’s rich—if fragile—performing arts industry, the company was unable to meet an audience anywhere in this 2020th year of COVID-19. In our photo essay, “The Lost Performances,” photographer Raegan Labat captures momentary essences of the works five of our regional dance companies had prepared for us this year, which have had to be retooled or shelved as a result of the pandemic, the toll of which to the entire performing arts industry in Louisiana—as is explored in Lauren Heffker’s story "State of the Scene"—is greater than we could have imagined. In this unprecedented performing arts issue, we hope to honor the great work of our artists while shining an honest light on the plight they now face. Who are we, after all, in this South Louisiana region, without our dancers, our musicians, our storytellers, our joie de vivre?